


Bodyguard AU

by Dyoun



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-07 09:35:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13431942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dyoun/pseuds/Dyoun
Summary: Weird AU in a weird country and a weird timeline. The Gold king, Kokujouji Daikaku, reigns on a divided kingdom made of 7 provinces, each one ruled by a lord and symbolized by a color. He has two children : Princess Claudia, the kingdom's loved heiress, and Prince Adolf, the genious whithout future. At least, that's what he thinks... Following his late master's wish, the Miwa's adopted son, Yatogami Kuroh, believes that the king's last child will be the key to a brighter future, and that he has to be by his sides to make it happen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fanfic I actually post ! about my OTP ! in an AU ! YAY !  
> I write it in French first, because it's my native language, then I try to translate it to English with a translator's help ;; Please forgive me if there are any mistakes or nonsenses, feel free to correct me !  
> The story takes place in a random kingdom, in the past (i don't know which one (maybe a kind of Edo period ??)), where each canon King is a lord with some land, and the actual king is the gold one. The Dresden trio is absolutly not canon, sorry if it feels weird ;;  
> We follow the story through Kuroh, and it focuses on the relationship between him and Shiro in his Weismann body. I'm so happy to write about my favourite clan as the main cast, Hakumaitou needs more love T^T  
> Then, enjoy !

“He is dead.”  
In a modest house, surrounded by quiet mountains, a great man of importance just left the living world. Lying on a simple bed on the floor, his face seemed peaceful, and if his soul just left his sick body, his nobility still shone brightly. The man who just said those painful words was Mishakuji Yukari, a relative of the deceased. He served this man for years, staying by his side in happiness, sadness and illness. His voice was deep, betraying a deep grief, but his face remained emotionless and his body straight.  
Where the reality hit the most was in the heart of a young man kneeling next to the noble, Yatogami Kuroh. He served his master for 11 years now. This man literally raised him as a child, since he adopted him when the child was only 7 years old. He was by far the closest person to the deceased. But the young man, now being 18, had the greatest pain to stop tears falling down his cheeks. His face was pale, his eyes fixed in emptiness. He clenched his fists, but not a single tear or sob reached the surface.  
Yukari closed his eyes for a moment to take a deep breath, accepting reality as it was, then laid his gaze on the young man with long dark hair, who happened to be his cadet. He scanned the least change of expression, the least sign of weakness. Not that he was worried about Kuroh’s mind state or that seeing him in pain would hurt him in any way, but by curiosity. Because nothing is less beautiful than someone swallowed up by grief.  
However, Kuroh stood still. Despite his heart being stricken, despite his head being as empty as filled of painful thoughts, he didn’t fall. He played in loop the last words of his master in his head, to find an escape from the pain, and to keep his voice somewhere within him a little longer. Past a few minutes of silence, Yukari sighted and got closer to the lifeless body to cover it with a blanket. Ichigen’s face being thus hidden, Kuroh gathered back his thoughts and stood up. He didn’t cross the gaze of his elder, feared that he would show the chaos within him through his eyes. He didn’t have the strength to face him, not now.  
“For a noble man like him, dying in such modest circumstances…” started Yukari, with a slightly less singing voice than usual, “He will never cease to amaze me, it seems.”

The two disciples left the room, and without slowing down, Kuroh went to the outside. He needed fresh air and loneliness. Yukari nodded, and then turned his head to the bedroom door in which his master was resting. His death had been inevitable and predictable, but seeing him leave him for real hurt him more than he had expected. It was quite easy to imagine how difficult the situation was for his younger brother. Yukari finally began writing letters to announce the sad news to the villagers.

Miwa Ichigen had devoted much of his life into serving the kingdom alongside the king: the Golden King, as he called himself. He was at his side as an adviser, being himself a diviner. Indeed, he seemed to be able to read the future one way or another. His advices have been decisive in the reign of the Golden King so far, especially in the management of the last civil war. The two men had a good relationship, so that Ichigen was raised to the rank of nobleman. It was the first time a commoner had obtained this status other than by birth. But his declining health ten years ago pushed him to withdraw from active life. The kingdom having found a period of peace, the king, who was getting old as well, no longer really needed his diviner. Ichigen returned to his native village in the mountains of the Colorless’ province, not far from the capital city. There, he began a new life far from politics, a rather calm new life. He took under his wing Mishakuji Yukari, a young soldier who deserted the royal army at the end of the war and adopted the little Kuroh before training him in the swordsmanship.  
It goes without saying that most people who knew Miwa Ichigen were convinced that he had decided to forget his past, denying his nobility. This is why his last wish addressed to his youngest disciple was simply surprising: " _Go to the side of the second child of the Gold King and protect him._ "

 

\----------------------  
“What do we do, now?” tried to ask Kuroh in a still shaking voice during dinner. Yukari took his time to answer.  
“Already ready to face the future, Kuroh-chan? I do not know if it's a proof of strength to overcome the pain and think about the future, or if it's a sign of weakness to escape the pain like that.” Kuroh looked up to look at his eldest, an offended expression on his face. Yukari gave him a poor smile. At times like these, Kuroh's expression would have amused him, but the time was badly chosen for teasing.  
“You're right”, admitted the tall and slender man, passing a hand in his purple hair, “this is not the right moment. You talked about his last wish, didn’t you?” Kuroh nodded.  
“Go to the side of the second child of the Gold King and protect him” recited the young man. “Who was he talking about?”  
Yukari took a sip of soup before answering.  
“The Gold King, who is the current king of the country, has two children” he explained, half surprised by the ignorance of his younger brother. “The eldest is a woman named Claudia. So she is the throne’s heir. She has a little brother, Prince Adolf.”  
“Is that the prince Ichigen-sama wants ... wanted me to protect?” deduces Kuroh, seemingly still troubled.  
“Apparently” Yukari replied, shrugging.  
Kuroh was silent for a moment, thoughtful.  
“Do you think this request is related to the future?”  
The eldest rested his elbows on the table, moving his body towards Kuroh.  
“Do you mean it would come from one of his visions?”  
The young man nodded vigorously, with a serious expression.  
“I am convinced that Ichigen-sama possessed clairvoyance gifts. He may totally have seen a future in which I am with the prince, or I must be there to change an undesirable future”, he elaborated.  
“... I personally have little troubles believing in this story of occult powers”, Yukari admitted. “I do not know why Ichigen would ask you to go and serve a member of the royal family, but for whatever reason, I feel like it's important. Maybe he wanted someone to take over his career?”  
“But then, why choosing me?” Kuroh asked in a whisper.  
“Having deserted, I hardly think I would be welcomed with open arms in the palace” Yukari said desperately, gesturing dramatically as he raised his wrist to his forehead. “I could be sliced in two any time!”  
Kuroh seemed to take the answer seriously, thinking even more with his chin in one hand.  
“But then, why him ...?”  
Neither of them had the answer to this question. Why did Ichigen want Kuroh to protect the king's second child? Why not the king in person, following their master’s path, or why not the crown princess, who would surely succeed his father in a few years? What did the future hold for the prince...?  
Suddenly, Kuroh's heart sank. He had just thought that, perhaps, he was not qualified enough to claim to be able to protect the king or the future queen. And that only the protection of a prince without any future in the management of the country was, in the eyes of his master, all that Kuroh was capable of. This thought hurt him deeply. His low self-esteem was a problem that Ichigen had a hard time changing into Kuroh. The young man no longer considered himself a bearer of evil, but this tendency to belittle what he was worth never left him.  
“... Is it even possible to return to the side of the nobles?” Kuroh finally asks hesitantly.  
“For you there’s no problem. Ichigen became a nobleman, so his family became so" Yukari said, taking a piece of food from Kuroh's dish, who had barely touched anything from the meal.  
Kuroh froze, thoughtful. “His family ...” It was obvious that Kuroh was to be considered the noble's adopted son. But going as far as to say to be part of the Miwa family...  
“You mean ...” he began, without continuing.  
“Yes, there’re chances that you have your own place in the aristocracy, as Miwa Ichigen's son. He denied his rank, but he never officially lost it.”  
Kuroh never considered himself as a privileged member of the nobility. He lived in a modest family before being picked up by Ichigen, and since then he lived just as humbly, on the heights of a remote mountain. Plus, the name Miwa must have been forgotten by the court since...  
“Anyway”, Yukari concluded in a louder voice, stretching his arms above his head gracefully, “it would be better to go to the capital to have better clues, Kuroh-chan!”  
“The capital?” the young man said with big eyes.  
“Of course, where do you think you can find your answers?” retorted the older of the disciples. “But do not count on me to accompany you, the atmosphere of the city is not good for my skin.”

\----------------------  
The Golden capital was closer to the village than he had expected. Indeed, when Kuroh had the opportunity to go down the mountain during these 11 years in the village, he saw clearly the city further down the valley, skirting any part of the river that flowed there. However, he never had the opportunity to go there. The capital itself was another world for him, an unreachable world.  
Yukari and he organized a modest funeral for their master, and the entire village participated. Kuroh struggled to hold back his tears, but he had kept his posture upright and proud, to honour the man who made him into the person he was today. The memory of this exceptional man will remain in every villager as long as their heart beats. Ichigen’s disciples received many visits to console and comfort them, share their sorrow. It made Kuroh feel better, talking about his master and sharing his memories with the villagers.  
Kuroh finally found the strength to prepare his trip to the capital a week after the death of his master. It took him a day and a half of walking, to reach the peasant dwellings bordering the capital. There, he could clearly see the imposing ramparts that surrounded the city. They once served as protection against enemy nations from the past. But tensions were now within the realm of the kingdom, as evidenced by the last civil war of 20 years ago. Its majestic walls symbolized nothing but wealth and prosperity, and especially the king's authority over the kingdom.

He stood motionless on a paved road, his nose up in the air, when a weight hit him right in the back, cutting his breath. Before he could turn his head to see what has just jostled him, he heard a girl's voice asking for forgiveness. Kuroh then faced a panting teenager, her long pink hair ruffled and tangled, her clothes looking more or less like rags. He was going to scream at the stranger to be more careful when he realized that some objects had fallen during the collision. Feeling partly guilty of the incident, Kuroh, as a perfect gentleman, was going to pick them up for her when a mere glance at the ground dissuaded him: the girl had dropped some _raw fish_. Kuroh's surprise and disgust left the teenager time to pick up the food at full speed. A brief glance at the young man, and she went off without further ado. Kuroh was still confused until he saw a merchant pushing the crowd, shouting, "Stop her! She’s a thief! ". The man was clearly the fishmonger of the neighbourhood who has just been stolen the fruit of his fishing by the strange girl. It would be hard to forget her singularly sparkling and mischievous eyes: one was green and the other was blue.

_\----------------------_  
Yatogami Kuroh entered the capital by crossing the great city gates. He noticed quite quickly that his attire was out of place with the local style. He took care to take the best clothes he had, under the expert guidance of Yukari. But it was obvious that it was not enough to blend in with the crowd. He decided to place this thought in a corner of his mind, ignoring the embargo in which it put him. He had arrived at his destination.  
Where should he go now?  
The young man looked around for help. He had to meet the prince, didn’t he? He most likely had to live in a kind of palace. Kuroh deduced that the tall building overlooking the city, with tall towers and high roofs, was to be the king's home. He wasn’t sure, but what would be his shame, having to admit ignoring such information by asking his way! He had no idea what the royal family looked like, let alone their palace ... He regretted for a moment that his master decided to scratch his past completely from the stories he told Kuroh as a child. He decided to follow the main roads, convinced that they would lead to his destination one way or another. 

He took the opportunity to study the architecture. It appeared so different and yet so similar to that what can be found in the neighbouring mountains. He was amazed to study the more or less frivolous outfits of the inhabitants, to notice the quality of the products exhibited in the streets and shops. There were a lot of people, and Kuroh was starting to have an empty stomach. It was past lunchtime, but he went looking for a restaurant that could accommodate him. Seeing the prices offered, he quickly deceived and went in search of smaller alleys, hoping to find a cheaper place to eat.  
Thus Kuroh found himself in a darker and narrower alley, which few people attended. He identified the front of a bar further away, the small groups gathered near the entrance testifying to the type of his attendance. It was the kind of person Kuroh preferred not to deal with, but he will make himself small and will eat fast. As he entered, it took him some time to identify the place he was in because of all the smoke in the room. Many smokers were installed, sipping cocktail or big glasses of beer, sharing countless gossip and other discussions with friends. Kuroh swallowed and walked a determined step towards the counter. An ambient music pulsed, creating a singular atmosphere.  
“What's up with ya, honey?” accosted a woman in her fifties, wearing a scarf on her head and an incredible neckline that made Kuroh look away.  
“Is it still possible to be served what to eat here?” the young man asked in a loud voice to make himself heard above the music.  
The bartender blinked twice before giggling loudly.  
“You're not from here, huh?” she noticed, looking at Kuroh's long and black hair. Her gaze lingered in the ashy blue eyes of the man who hastened to turn them away, uncomfortable.  
Well, that kind of institution certainly may not like strangers coming from other provinces. He would surely be rejected and he would have to find another bar. But the woman's frank laugh showed no hostility.  
“What's that way of talking, honey? Relax, no one is going to eat you here. You’re quite funny, so I’m gonna get you a little something to nibble, wait for me here”, she said with a wink before disappearing in the back shop.  
Kuroh sighed in relief, and then he studied the rest of the counter. A tall, muscular, tattooed man was making a cocktail vigorously, and customers were chatting or waiting for their order. Kuroh's gaze rested on a tall, thin figure, covered with a hood covering their entire body. This made him raise an eyebrow and smile. It was clear that the establishment did not care about the appearance of the customers, being all stranger than each other, but this person preferred to stay hidden. Maybe they were a newcomer as well? It was then that he saw two hideous men approaching the figure, approaching them rather roughly. It made the unknown person's head stand up, their big silver eyes widening. Kuroh could not hear the conversation, but the clumsy smile of the hooded person was not pleased. The men seemed to want to take them somewhere, and although the person was kindly refusing, one of them took their forearm and pulled them out of their stool. The movement made the hood fall and incredibly long, white hair was released. Some of the customers turned their heads towards the hustle and bustle. Kuroh also paid more attention to the scene and without realizing it, he was already standing up and getting closer to the troublemakers. His hand was under his black coat, resting on his sword’s pommel.  
“Don’t struggle, cute lady, we are not going to hurt you”, said one of them in a suave but authoritative voice.  
“Let me go!” refused the person in a dry voice, which belonged without a doubt to a man, as surprising as it could seem.  
Nobody had time to react that Kuroh had already interposed between the albino and his aggressors by striking with precision their arms in a flash. Nobody understood where this strange black-haired man came from, who had just made the two guys bend over in pain.  
“That's enough!” Kuroh snarled, facing the two men who were complaining like kids. “What's wrong with you, assaulting someone like this? Are you deaf when you are told "no"?!”  
One of the two men got up holding his aching arm with his other hand. At this point, the whole bar was a spectator of what was going on, and especially of what was going to happen.  
“What did ya say, poor bastard? How dare ya hitting me?! Take that!” yelled the obviously drunk man, swinging his free fist at Kuroh's face.  
He only had to raise his hand to grasp the blow. A short moment passed before he used his other hand to strike the last valid and tense arm of his opponent. He screamed in pain and fell back on his lap, while his accomplice rose on his feet. The crowd that had begun to form around the fighters seemed excited, eager to watch the rest of the show. The man with the long silver hair had leaned back against the counter, staring in horror at the fight that was unfolding before his eyes. Kuroh had defeated the second assailant in less time than it took to say it, and turned to him.  
“Are you okay?” Kuroh asked with a worried look.  
The albino nodded and looked in horror over the shoulder of his saviour. He took the dark-haired man by the shoulders and pushed him to his left, shouting "Careful!" A wooden chair smashed on the counter next to them in a deafening noise, which made the crowd jump. It took Kuroh a moment to analyse the change in the situation, and then he turned to face a monster: a colossal woman stood in front of the two men, holding two feet off the chair, detached from the rest.  
“Asshole, what did you do to my brother?” she growled in a cavernous voice that could make even the bravest of the soldiers shudder.  
She used the chair legs as a weapon, sending a powerful blow to Kuroh. But he unsheathed his precious sword Kotowari to slice the wooden weapon in two. The whole room showed his surprise loudly, reinforcing their excitement. He could begin to hear encouragements. It was impossible for Kuroh to know if these words were addressed to him or his opponent, but it didn’t matter. It was better to get out of there.  
It was when a loud cry louder than the others pierced the hubbub.  
“NYAAAAH!”  
Everyone turned to the front door, stunned and curious. On the bottom of the door proudly stood a frail figure. Kuroh recognized it instantly: tousled pink hair, one green eye and the other blue.  
“Shiro, Shiro, here!” whispered the same voice in a radically lower tone, in the back of Kuroh.  
The dark-haired man turned quickly, and the same girl was standing near another little door in the darkness, right beside him. She stretched out an arm and grabbed the albino's, who grinned. And before Kuroh could figuring out how on earth the teenager could have ended up here so fast, the silver-haired man took Kuroh by the arm and dragged him with them to the exit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But who's this mysterious person ?? I wonder ?? XD  
> I'm feeling cruel to start with Ichigen's death, but yeah, take the feels right from the begining ! I didn't want to settle an all world, or build it from actual places or period. I hope you guys will be able to imagine it as you like.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the capital with a glow dimmed by clouds. Three people were running down a narrow cobblestone lane, and the leader of the small group suddenly stopped in a small, unobstructed yard.  
Only one of the three was literally dying of fatigue, panting loudly to catch his breath.  
“Well, what a frantic race!” he managed to say between two coughs, raising his smiley face, hidden by countless white hair locks grazing the ground. “Thank you again, uh ...” the albino continued, visibly searching for a name in his memory.  
“Neko!” the young girl who had guided the group into the labyrinth of the capital, barely out of breath, replied happily. “Neko saved you twice now!”  
The young man chuckled and straightened up, chasing his long hair.  
“It's true, this is the second time that our paths meet, thank you very much! Without you I would be dead now!”  
“Hey!” called out a third voice.  
It turned the heads of the two young people towards the black-haired man who had run beside them.  
“You seem to forget that it is rather me to whom you must first show your gratitude”, he remarked in a venomous tone.  
The albino remained a moment attentive, then a smile grew on his lips before giggling again.  
“Oh yes that's true! Without your intervention these guys could have done weird things to me, thank you!”  
Kuroh nodded, showing that he was satisfied. He then examined the androgynous face of the one he helped a few minutes ago, wondering if he was just an idiot.  
“It was incredible, by the way!” he continued enthusiastically. “When did you learn to fight that well?”  
Slightly destabilized by the personal question a stranger had just asked him, Kuroh sighed before answering.  
“I've learned the art of combat since childhood” he said casually.  
“Oh, are you a soldier?”  
This time, the question totally surprised him and almost offended him.  
“What?” asked the silver-haired man, obviously aware that his question didn’t please his interlocutor.  
“Do I look like one?” he hissed, showing off his traditional katana.  
This weapon could in no way be part of the army. Was there something bad being a soldier, though? Surprised by his offended reaction, the albino apologized, then after a moment of silence, he spoke again in a voice full of anger.  
“Seriously, how could they take me for a girl?” the young man was indignant, certainly talking about his attackers.  
“Because Shiro has the most beautiful hair in the universe!” the girl, visibly named Neko, said, raising her arms with energy, which made Shiro smile.  
“Well ... I guess most men here do not have that kind of appearance. What is this improbable hairstyle, though?” Kuroh dismissed accusingly.  
It only made Shiro laugh loudly.  
“You're right, it's a bit exaggerated ...”  
“And not just a bit!”  
“Buuuh, your hair is long too!” Neko pointed out to defend Shiro, pointing an accusing finger at Kuroh. “You don’t have the right to say bad things about my Shiro!”  
At these words, the girl gripped the arm of the albino while pulling out her tongue. Having refocused the attention of the two men on her, Kuroh remembered the incredible phenomenon that allowed them to escape a few moments earlier. But while he was going to ask her how she managed to be in two different places at the same time, his stomach was starving. He had almost forgotten it, but the starting point of this whole story was his search for food. His dish must have been sold to another customer by now. This thought made him even angrier.  
“Damn it…”  
Shiro giggled loudly, vexing the poor Kuroh, who was beginning to blush.  
“Because of me you couldn’t eat?” Shiro guessed between two chuckles. “Here, to make me forgiven and to thank you as it should be.”  
At these words, the albino approached and placed a handful of gold coins in Kuroh's palm. With a wink, Shiro tells him that he will be able to enter a real restaurant this time with that. Kuroh was speechless for a moment: he does not remember having seen so much money in his own hand before. But before he could refuse the extravagant gift, Shiro was already walking away, closely followed by the girl.  
“See you, and thank you again!” he greeted, shaking a hand in his direction, a broad smile on his lips.  
His beautiful face with fine features was then put back in the shadow of the big hood, just like his unforgettable hair. Kuroh stood motionless for a moment before realizing he had not given him his name ... but mostly he had no idea where to go! He could not see himself running after them to ask for directions ... He had to keep a minimum of dignity.  
After a deep sigh, Kuroh went back in search of the main street of the city, where he could finally have lunch in peace.

\----------------------  
Walking happily through the narrow streets of the capital, a girl was once again guiding the man she had saved for the second consecutive time. Neko seemed to know the city by heart, or she simply followed her instincts without questioning herself.  
“Shiro does not want people to see him?” she finally said after a relative moment of silence.  
“Ah ... You saw for yourself how much I attract problems. It is better that I avoid meeting too many people.”  
“Understood! Neko will stay in the small streets then~” she concludes, before realizing something. “But, by the way, where do you want me to take you?”  
“Oh, hehe!” laughed nervously at the hooded man. “Looks like I forgot to tell you, it's true. Bring me to the royal palace.”  
“Okay! Neko will find the palace for Shiro!” the teenager cheered, pulling the albino forward to make him walk faster.  
“Why do you call me Shiro...” he murmured while trying to keep up the pace of the strange street girl.

\----------------------  
Standing straight as an unyielding pike, hands clasped behind his back, a man of unparalleled stature scrutinized the sunset from the top of his balcony. This man approaching his ninth decade of existence, had a strict and firm face, streaked with innumerable wrinkles, framed by white hair falling at the shoulders. He wore heavy traditional clothes adorned with expensive jewels. This man was none other than the king himself, Kokujouji Daikaku.  
His eyebrows were frowning, betraying deep concern. It was then that one of his subjects ventured to put a foot on the king's balcony.  
“What is it?” snarled the old man, having as a sixth sense to detect the presence of others on his territory.  
“Prince Adolf has returned to the palace, your Majesty. He is well and wishes to receive your pardon.”  
Daikaku did not turn around, but his shoulders lowered.  
“Poor idiot. So he ran away again?” guessed the king.  
“I am very much afraid of that, Sire” replied the servant, timidly, visibly uncomfortable by the annoyance of his king.  
He sighed loudly and finally turned to face his interlocutor.  
“It cannot last” the old man said firmly, keeping a calm but authoritative stance. “I know in advance that he will not listen to another sermon coming from me, so I will take the necessary action. With or without his agreement.”  
The servant bowed, as if accepting what these words implied.  
“Are you going to have Prince Adolf staying in the palace, by force if needed?” he guessed.  
“I do not want to lock him in the walls he hates so much, so I thought of something else” Daikaku said. “Start a correspondence with the Miwa immediately”, he ordered then.  
The servant bowed, assuring his king that his request would be made immediately, and then he withdrew. Then came the communication manager.  
“I am listening to you, Your Majesty” he began.  
“In order to limit the outings of my son, and to make them safer, he needs a guard.”  
“A guard, Sire?”  
“A personal guard, who would follow him wherever he goes, and who could dissuade him from running away.”  
“Where do you think you can find someone competent enough to ensure the safety of Prince Adolf, your Highness?”  
After a few moments of reflection, a slight smile appeared on the king's lips.  
“The answer is obvious. I need Miwa Ichigen's disciple.”

\----------------------  
The night was falling, and he had not reached his destination yet. After eating a fantastic meal in a famous hostel in the capital, Kuroh decided it was too late to hope for an audience with the king. He went looking for a place where he could spend the night and took the opportunity to walk during the rest of the afternoon. He had no idea what he will tell the king if he ended up meeting him. The request of his master was an enigma, he did not know himself what he would do at the side of this Prince Adolf. Kuroh consoled himself thinking that the name of the Miwa was a great asset he carried with him. Regarding this name, he will be welcome. He can also justify his coming by announcing the death of Miwa Ichigen, a close friend of the king. And from there, he would share his last will with the king, and wait to see what he thinks of it. Yes, that sounded good enough.  
After taking stock of his situation, the young disciple took a deep breath and went back to an inn he had kept in mind. With the money that the mysterious albino had given him, he was able to spend the night in a warm place. He also enjoyed a light dinner before returning to his room for the night. During his meal, he heard customers speaking about the king. It obviously interested the young man who listened. Three men were talking at the same table. One of them claimed to have seen a delegation near the palace’s doors, heading toward the capital’s exit. Then they discussed about Princess Claudia who was making more appearances and was making people talking about her. They agreed that the heiress would make a good queen. She looked popular in the Golden province. Kuroh kept a low profile, feeling totally ignorant. He will seriously have to learn more things concerning the monarchy. He regretted not had been more curious in his youth, but respecting the silence of his master was more important.  
At the end of this busy day, Kuroh went quickly to bed, not without asking himself innumerable questions about the day that awaited him the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh oh... The king wants to meet Kuroh, and Kuroh wants to meet the king !


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Kuroh has reached his destination... !

The next morning, Kuroh appeared at the doors of the palace. He took a deep breath and watched the noble building. It was then that the doors opened and a small group of people came out. A young woman with brown hair seemed to notice him. She stepped away from the group of women and approached Kuroh without any hesitation. She wore a maid's dress, and in her hands was a wicker basket. The other women had stopped after noting the servant's absence. They all had baskets, surely they were on their way to the market.  
“You seem lost, do you need help?” asked the young woman. She had big hazel eyes and some kind of jewelry decorated her hair.  
Kuroh did not expect to be so warmly welcomed by a member of the royal court.  
“Hello miss. Do you know if it is possible to meet the king?”  
He received for only answer wide eyes. Then she chuckled.  
“Please forgive me, I rarely hear such a question” explained the maid. “This is not a frequent request. May I know who you are to want to meet the King?”  
“I am the disciple of the late Miwa Ichigen, Yatogami Kuroh. I have news to personally announce to the king.”  
“Miwa Ichigen ...” the young woman said, having obviously heard the name somewhere.  
Then another servant with long black hair approached, she had listened to the conversation.  
“Kukuri, isn’t it the soothsayer? You know, the one who became a noble and retired few years ago.”  
“Oh, of course!” exclaimed Kukuri before facing Kuroh again. “If you are close to the diviner, then the king will surely welcome you. He is not the type to give hearings to anyone, but he will probably be happy to meet you. Follow me!”  
“Kukuri! Where are you going like that? I hope you’re not running away from work!” asked the young woman with black hair.  
“Go ahead without me, I'll join you right away”, said Kukuri with a wink before entering the courtyard accompanied by Kuroh, who kept thanking her.

\----------------------  
The king was standing in front of a window overlooking the magnificent patio of the palace. His son was sitting on a bench made of immaculate metal, responding to the whiteness of his dress. The old man had discussed with him the appointment of a competent man as a bodyguard. Adolf did not seem to mind, but he did not seem happy either. He was now reading a book offered by his father himself. Daikaku was happy to see that he was making this effort, but it was obvious that Adolf preferred to watch colourful butterflies or simply listen to the birds singing, paying very little attention to his reading. The king sighed. His son has always been like that. He seemed constantly detached from the world around him, his mind escaping the status of prince he inherited. He was far from simple-minded, however. He had quite often displayed incredible intelligence. Perhaps he was simply seeing the world in a different way than others, a vision inaccessible to most mortals.

It was then that someone knocked on the door of the room in which the Gold King was. A servant announced that a young man was asking for a meeting with his Majesty. When he heard the name of this young man, an expression of surprise appeared on the normally closed face of the king.  
“How is this possible, did my message reach the Miwa that fast?”  
“It appears he was already into the capital, Sire. He claims to have news for you. Would you like to accept his request?”  
“Of course. The Miwa are always welcome”, replied the Gold King, with a solemn look.  
He heard footsteps approaching and one of his guards entered, carrying a weapon in his hand. The king raised an eyebrow.  
“Your Highness” said the intimidating soldier at the door, visibly angry. “This Yatogami Kuroh refuses to leave his blade out of the palace, arguing that you must see it. I took charge of bringing it to you ...”  
The king approached the guard and a single glance at the sword sheath was enough to confirm what Daikaku was thinking. There was only the Miwa family to forge such weapons. However, he seized it and unsheathed the sword, to examine the magnificent blade.  
“I remember it well ... It's the work Ichigen is most proud of.”  
“Indeed, here is Kotowari”, an unknown voice announced.  
Daikaku then saw the owner of the voice behind the guard, at the door. He motioned the soldier to leave them alone, and kept the sword. A tall young man was standing upright, then bowed respectfully. The king invited him to come in and sit down. Daikaku placed Kotowari on the low table between Kuroh and himself.  
“I am deeply honoured to have the opportunity to meet you, your Highness” the young man began in a calm voice. “I will never be grateful enough for having accepted to devote your time to me.”  
“Enough formalities” answered the king, inwardly rejoices at the politeness of the young man and his good manners. “You are the disciple of Miwa Ichigen, Yatogami Kuroh, is that right?”  
“Yes, that's it” Kuroh replied with a darkening look. “I have ... something to tell you.”  
“I'm listening, boy.”  
It took Kuroh a moment to find the right words and the strength to pronounce them. After a deep breath, he turned his gaze right into the Gold King’s eyes.  
“Miwa Ichigen, my master, withdrew from you because of his declining health” he said and the king nodded softly. “Unfortunately, his condition has only deteriorated since. I came to announce to you ... that he died peacefully last week, in his humble abode, beside the ones that were dear to him.”  
A heavy silence settled then, the king seemed to weigh the words of Kuroh, then he solemnly opted.  
“That's sad news. My deepest condolences”, Daikaku announced in a deep voice.  
“Thank you. And I offer you my condolences too, since you and my master were close.”  
“Hmm ... Thank you for moving to warn me. This man had changed so many lives. Without him, the result of the last civil war might not have been the one we know today. I regret not having visited him since ... It will be my only and eternal regret about him.”  
Another silence. Many memories occupied the minds of both men.  
“I also wanted to share with you his dying wish, your Highness” Kuroh said.  
This made the king's head stand up, waiting for what followed.  
“Before leaving us, his words were addressed to me. He asked me to meet your second child.”  
“Adolf...?”  
“He gave me no other indication. But I am convinced ... that there is a link with the future.”  
“A vision of the future?” Kokujouji Daikaku supposed.  
Kuroh nodded, and a smile was born at the corners of the king's mouth. He rose, dominating the young man with his impressive build.  
“Decidedly, here is an interesting shot of fate. I also had something to say to you, young Yatogami Kuroh, son of Miwa Ichigen, one of the best swordsmen in the region.”  
“I would be honoured to serve you in the manner of your choice, Your Majesty” said Kuroh, bowing his head.  
“Do you wish to follow the last will of your master?”  
“Of course. That's why I'm here before you, Sire.”  
“I wanted to talk to you about my son” said the Gold King.  
This surprised Kuroh, who paid close attention to what was about to follow.  
“You see, Adolf is a pretty special person” Daikaku began, walking mechanically through the room. “He considers the palace like a prison, he isolates himself and often runs away.”  
Kuroh frowned, very interested in learning more about the prince. The king stopped, his back facing his interlocutor.  
“That's why I'd like you to become his personal bodyguard.”  
Kuroh's eyes widened. " _Go to the side of the second child of the Gold King and protect him."_  
“May I know what does it mean, exactly?” asked the young man.  
“He needs someone who can protect him during his outings, and who can dissuade him from  
running away. Someone who will stay with him no matter what happens. Someone of confidence, reasonable and skilled in the handling of weapons” said the king, turning to the young man.  
The two men looked at the sword Kotowari.  
“And it seems obvious to me that you are the man I'm looking for, Yatogami Kuroh.”  
The young man's heart started racing. The king himself wanted to use his services to protect his son, a prince. Responsibilities and expectations were great. But his master trained him well for that. Accepting this offer was the best way to pay tribute to the teaching he received from Ichigen.  
“Would you accept to enter the service of Prince Adolf? And to enter the royal guard?”  
Daikaku offered, his voice loud and serious.  
Kuroh looked once more at his sword, which was bequeathed to him by his master shortly before his death. He asked him internally whether this way was the right one, if that way was the one he wanted him to imprint. But the fact that he was there at that time was a proof that he was taking the right path, right? He took a deep breath and then got up to kneel properly in front of the Golden King.  
“I accept with the greatest pleasure your offer, your Highness. I will be delighted to be able to honour the last will of my master by staying with your son. I swear on my life that I will protect him, whatever it costs me” elaborated Kuroh with the greatest seriousness.  
Kokujouji Daikaku nodded, satisfied with the response of the young swordsman. Then he asked him to get up.  
“It’s not to me you should address those words” said the king with a relaxed tone. “I'm sorry it's all so sudden.”  
“That His Majesty would take me to his service, was why I present myself to you today. You offer me more than I dared to imagine.”  
Both men seemed satisfied. Fate had really played a funny trick. The Gold King proposed to introduce the future guard to the prince. And walking along a corridor of the palace, a detail came back to Daikaku's mind.  
“I'm still surprised you came to me that early”, began the old man with his usual big voice.  
“How so, sire?”  
“That’s quite funny, actually. Thinking that I sent a delegation of royal soldiers to pick you up at the Miwa’s house… Finally you were already on your way to meet me. I'll have to send a messenger to get them back as soon as possible,” the king explained.  
Kuroh's heart missed a beat. Soldiers were heading for his master's house? The young man had cold sweats: it meant that his senior, Mishakuji Yukari was in danger. If his identity was revealed, he could easily be arrested as a deserter! Kuroh prayed with all his might that the troop of soldiers will receive the message from the king before reaching his village.  
Things could not all go in the right direction, realized unfortunately Kuroh, on the way to meet his next master.

\----------------------  
This palace is beautiful. That's what Kuroh used to think in every room he went through. Painted and finely carved woodwork, dazzling mural frescoes, splendidly manicured gardens, the finesse of the furniture and the majestic space of the palace had everything to impress any visitor. To imagine that it was possible for him to live the coming weeks, months or maybe even years here filled him with joy, pride and intimidation.  
Kuroh followed the king, accompanied by a small group of domestics. Kokujouji Daikaku seemed unable to move alone very often. Kuroh wondered if the prince also had that kind of delegation following him wherever he went. Maybe he already had other personal guards protecting him? Why did they let him run away in this case? But Kuroh remembered that the prince tended to isolate himself, according to his father’s words. Perhaps he had always refused to have subjects close to him? But then was he going to accept _him_ ?  
The king must have noticed the growing tension in Kuroh, because he turned to him, stopping his walk.  
“Do not be so nervous, boy” Daikaku reassured him before starting to walk again. “No need to put pressure on you. Show yourself authoritarian and competent. He does not have a say in you, I trust your abilities. It's not a job interview”, the king added, glancing over at Kuroh over his shoulder.  
Kuroh was convinced that a smile must be hidden under his beard given the tone of his voice. It relaxed a little the young man, who nodded. It was natural to feel intimidated when we are about to meet a prince. But after talking to the king himself, no one could scare him anymore.  
Lost in thought, Kuroh almost didn’t notice that the delegation had stopped. All the subjects that accompanied them had stopped, bowing. Kuroh then turned to the king, curious to see where they were, that even the domestics could not enter. They stood on a wooden porch, overlooking an absolutely majestic garden. But Kuroh's gaze was caught by an immaculate figure standing in this fairy garden.  
“Adolf”, called the king. “I have someone to introduce you.”  
The prince put the book he was holding in his hands on the white bench next to him, then turned around with a big smile.  
“Oh, do I have a visit?” the young man asked with joy, making his long white clothes fly as well as ... an unforgettable silver hair.  
Kuroh stiffens. His mind emptied a moment before the realization. That person…  
“Shiro?!” he exclaimed, with a voice almost scandalized.  
This brought a silence of surprise during the seconds that followed.  
“Oh” was all the prince found to say, having obviously recognized the man who stood before him.  
Daikaku frowned as the surprise passed. He turned to the young swordsman and then to his son.  
“Can you explain the situation?” commanded the king in an authoritative voice.  
“Oh, hehe!” laughed the prince nervously, approaching his father. “I think there is an error on the person.”  
“Y-Yes, I'm terribly sorry for this misplaced reaction” Kuroh hastily said, bowing hard and struggling not to blush with shame. “Please accept my apologies, Your Majesty and Lord Adolf.”  
It was obvious that Prince Adolf was the man he had rescued in the capital the day before. But telling the king that his son had put himself in danger in an unfriendly bar would only bring undesirable troubles.  
“Oh, please” chuckled the prince, pushing Kuroh's words away with his hand. “No harm done.”  
Kuroh regained his composure and his upright, unyielding stance. He could not, however, remove the pink from his cheeks immediately. He looked at Adolf's clear eyes for a moment before bowing before him again.  
“I am the disciple of the late Miwa Ichigen, Yatogami Kuroh. I am honoured to meet you, your Highness.”  
“Nice to meet you” smiled the prince, with an embarrassed smile.  
Really, he still struggled to get used to people bowing in front of him.  
“This is your personal bodyguard from now on” said the king. “It's about him I told you about last night. He will follow you wherever you go to ensure your safety.”  
“Father, I already told you that this was useless-”  
“Silence!” cut the king in a strong, firm voice. “I'm not asking for your opinion, Adolf. This boy deserves the greatest consideration. There is no other person as capable of fulfilling this task as he is. You'll thank me later, son” he added, turning back.  
“But...!”  
“He'll take up this position tomorrow, whether you like it or not” Daikaku said as he entered the palace again.  
The wooden doors closed as he passed, leaving two men speechless behind him.

“Oh my... okay” murmured the albino after a moment of silence.  
“I beg you to forgive my misplaced remarks of the day before!” Kuroh exclaimed suddenly, bowing again. “I had no way of knowing your identity, I'm sorry if I seemed rude or unpleasant.”  
Adolf stood motionless for a moment, blinking at Kuroh's vigour for a moment.  
“It's nothing, believe me” assured the prince. “But please, can you stop bowing like this? This makes me uneasy.”  
Kuroh stiffened, and stood up as fast as he could. This made the prince chuckle.  
“So you really are my savior from the last time?” realized the albino, examining his new guard. “Father must be right, you actually have a lot of potential, from what I’ve seen!”  
“I am delighted to be able to put at your disposal my skills, your Highness. I will give my life to serve you.”  
“No need to go that far!” Adolf laughed, turning his back to Kuroh to go back to the flowers. “Your name is Kuroh, then…” he murmured with his chin on his hand, looking up at the sky.  
“That's it. And...” Kuroh continued hesitantly. “How does his Highness prefer to be called?”  
“That's a good question” said the prince with a smile, closing his eyes. “No need to keep the royal title when we are in private like that. Just Adolf is enough. Oh!” exclaimed the prince as if he just had an illumination.  
He turned to face Kuroh energetically, twirling his endless silver hair, smiling brightly.  
“Shiro is very good too!”  
“Wh- !” choked the young swordsman before clearing his throat. “Are you sure that's what you want?” he resumed more calmly.  
Adolf nodded, very serious.  
“That's fine” he said, crossing his arms. “If we have to live with each other, then we should make sure no one is embarrassed!”  
_"What kind of logic is that?! I am the one who will be embarrassed by giving a nickname to a **prince**!”_ Kuroh thought. Decidedly, this prince was far from the idea Kuroh had made about him.  
“And in public, then?”  
“Umm... Prince Adolf is the most commonly used”, he replied. “But avoid the "your Highness" or the "Lord", it is outdated.”  
It was hard for Kuroh to hold an exclamation of surprise. _"Outdated, seriously? "_  
“As you wish” resigned the swordsman.  
Adolf nodded, satisfied. He wore a big smile, but it seemed forced. So he really didn’t want to accept his father's "gift". That was when the maid, who had guided Kuroh to the king, crossed the porch a little further.  
“Ah, perfect”, began the albino. “Miss Kukuri, can you bring this young man to the domestic dormitories, please?”  
Kukuri didn’t expect to hear the voice of the prince, because she jumped violently and turned pale. She panicked and seemed to be running away when she saw that, indeed, Prince Adolf himself was in the garden. The servants must surely be forbidden to be in the same place as a member of the royal family outside in the gardens. Which explained why the delegation of earlier had suddenly stopped, and why this unfortunate maid was in this state.  
“Y-Yes, Prince Adolf?”  
“My father had surely prepared an apartment for him. Would you like to guide him there?” he asked with a warm voice and a soft smile.  
“Of course! Right away, Prince Adolf”, the young woman bowed several times.  
Which made the prince sigh. Kuroh understood: no more bows. Adolf faced Kuroh as Kukuri approached.  
“You'll be able to rest until tomorrow. There must be your royal guard uniform in your room. I'll make sure you don’t miss anything.”  
“Where will I meet you tomorrow?” Kuroh asked.  
“Let's say in the same place as today. I should be in this garden at sunrise. Take your time to have a great breakfast first, I will not flee this time, promised!” chuckled the albino.  
“Okay” Kuroh confirmed, only tilting his head this time, which amused the prince.  
Kukuri offered him to follow her, what Kuroh was going to do when he felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back.  
“By the way, about what happened yesterday...” murmured Adolf before placing a finger on his lips.  
The message was clear: not a word to anyone. A big complicit smile appeared on his lips and he articulated a mute "thank you" before returning to sit on the bench to resume his reading.  
Decidedly, this prince will not cease to surprise his poor bodyguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it me or it sounds like a date X'D
> 
> Real work begins the next day for Kuroh ! Wish him good luck for dealing with that weird prince !


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of work for Kuroh ! What does the prince do in his daily life ?

Kuroh was sitting on a simple bed covered in white sheets. He had tested the quality of the mattress and it seemed to be very comfortable. The room in which he was now resting was itself very comfortable: the room was spacious, there was even an individual kitchen and a bathroom. The domestic dormitory, as the prince had called it, was an actual village near the palace, made up of several small wooden buildings similar to each other. However, Kuroh enjoyed greater comfort than the servants and other domestic of less value than the royal guards. The young man's apartment was away from the others, near a small corner of greenery on which gave a covered porch. You only had to slide the panel made of wood and paper, which served as a gateway, to obtain a considerable opening on nature. The traditional style of the building did not upset him: his new house did not change much from the previous one.  
After exploring the room, Kuroh went outside to the garden. It was directly connected to the palace, and it brought calm and peace in the hustle and bustle of the city. A welcome meal was brought to him at the beginning of the afternoon. The deliveryman had been sent by the prince, according to him. He also said that it was possible to change that, if Kuroh would rather cook for himself. The young man willingly accepted the warm dish offered to him. The prince seemed to be a good person, paying attention to the well-being of his subjects.

After a hearty meal, Kuroh could no longer remain locked up, and decided to visit the surroundings and meet his neighbourhood. The fresh air was enjoyable, allowing him to focus on the important events of the day and relieve the pressure he had endured. However, a worry did not want to disappear from his mind: he was worried about his eldest, Mishakuji Yukari. But how could he have guessed that the Gold King was looking for him shortly after his departure for the capital? Perhaps it would have been better to wait longer before following his master's will. Was he perhaps forcing fate, the future glimpsed by Ichigen-sama? He could not stop feeling responsible for the danger waiting for Yukari. Anyway, now he couldn’t do anything to help his eldest. But that man was the type to avoid problems, so Kuroh trusted him to get by.  
Night fell quickly, as the winter season approached. Kuroh, exhausted by so many upheavals in his once quiet life, went to bed relatively early and fell asleep with many apprehensions for the next day. 

\----------------------  
The next day, despite Kuroh getting up early as usual, his breakfast was already waiting outside the door. He took his time to get ready, noticing with relief that his uniform fitted him. It was a rather dark outfit, made of a thick fabric covering the whole body, belted at the waist. Long pieces of black and golden tissue curled around the bust and covered the rest of the body, forming a kind of robe. The uniform more or less kept the style of the other royal outfits. Kuroh went outside to perform some fighting moves to make sure he could easily move in that outfit. And indeed, despite the decorations were futile, they did not hinder the movements and made them even more spectacular.  
Kuroh walked to the royal palace, gripping Kotowari tightly to his waist. He managed to find the little garden in which the prince was waiting for him. Adolf sat on the same bench as the day before, reading the same book. If his hair was not tied into a loose ponytail and his clothes had not changed, one would have thought that the young man had stayed here all night.  
“Aren’t you cold?” Kuroh approached the prince, under the gaze of some curious domestics staying inside.  
He first thought that Adolf hadn’t heard him because there was no answer, but the albino finally lifted his nose from the book when Kuroh was standing in front of him.  
“Oh, hello Kuroh!” greeted the prince with his usual smile. “Sorry it must be the sixth time I'm asked this question this morning, I end up not hearing it any more”, he said, yawning.  
“Agitated night?” Kuroh supposed.  
This made Adolf laugh: indeed, he had slept badly. Was it that obvious?  
“Would you have inherited the insight of your master?” he said with lightness and amusement.  
“I suppose those bright eyes and dark circles do not need that kind of gift to be noticed” Kuroh said, keeping a serious face and voice.  
The prince stared at Kuroh for a moment, surprised, before chuckling sadly.  
“So that's what it is...” he said, looking back into his book on his lap.  
“May I ask you what has disturbed your sleep?” Kuroh said after a short moment of silence.  
This made the prince's head rise again. He looked away, avoiding that of his new guard.  
“Just a bad dream” he replied. “It happens to everyone, right?”  
Kuroh nodded silently. He then observed his environment, enjoying the serenity that inspired this place. Flowers of many different species were still blooming despite the season. Many bushes of different shapes and colors and a small tree embellished this small garden wedged between the palace’s facades. There were even branches that wrapped around the stanchions of the porch, taking support on the walls and roofs to reach the sky. The patio had this strange feeling, different from the rest of the palace, so different from the atmosphere of the capital.  
“It's a beautiful garden, isn’t it?” Adolf asked, having noticed where Kuroh's gaze had escaped.  
“It's sumptuous” he answered sincerely.  
It was pleasing to hear. The prince put down his book next to him and got up, walking slowly in one of the little paths crossing the garden. Kuroh followed him.  
“I still remember planting some plants here when I was little” the albino explained, brushing some flower petals with his fingertips. “It's a special place for me. It calms me.”  
“I fully understand why” Kuroh confirmed, looking up to watch the leaves begin to fall from the tree. Then he looked back at his prince. He was clutching a bestial beige skin cape covering his shoulders.  
“You came earlier than I expected” Adolf confessed.  
“I'm not a big sleeper” Kuroh explained. “And being late for my first day wouldn’t serve me well.”  
It made the prince giggle slightly. Then the realization hit Kuroh suddenly.  
“I hope it doesn’t bother you in any way!” he exclaimed, making a mini panic attack.  
“Oh, no, absolutely not!” exclaimed the prince back, waving his hands as to defend himself.  
“Some company is always nice” he added with a smile.  
Facing his bodyguard, Adolf watched him. He had long straight black hair, perfectly tied into a high ponytail, giving him a strict air. His blue-gray eyes framed by long lashes colored a little his thin face. And his inflexible eyebrows reinforced his stern look. The uniform covering his whole body, being also black, Kuroh seemed to go out for funerals. This thought reminded Adolf that this young man had just lost his adoptive father, which made him a little uncomfortable. He was definitely not good with others.  
“I wanted to thank you for the meals” Kuroh said as the prince lost himself in his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.  
“Oh, that's not much. I just have to order a dish to deliver to your room”, he explained. “I will not do this every day, that said”, added the prince, putting a finger to his chin, thoughtfully.  
“It won’t be necessary anymore, I can prepare my own meals” said the swordsman.  
“Very well then! There is a shopping list pickup system on the domestic side. Maids go every day to the city market to bring what you have ordered. You have to pay with your own resources, however”, explained the prince. “To avoid abuse”, he added with a wink.  
“That's rather surprising” Kuroh confessed.  
“Indeed, I am the one who insisted to put in place this kind of things!” Adolf elaborated, resuming his way, a proud smile on his lips.  
“You seem to take good care of your subjects, it's admirable”, complimented the young guard, nodding, as if to emphasize his words.  
“I just like listening to the needs of others” the prince explained vaguely.  
It was then that a strong gust of cold air rushed into the patio. Even for Kuroh's trained body, the freshness of the air had been unpleasant. He glanced at Adolf, who seemed frozen.  
“My prince, we should go and get warm, or else you will catch cold” the young man suggested as he approached the albino.  
The latter nodded vigorously, discreetly smiling at Kuroh's "my prince." He had therefore found his own way to address him, which was none of the words Adolf had suggested to him the day before, without being too formal. It sounded pretty right.  
The two men went together to a door of the palace to regain some heat, forgetting the book left on the immaculate bench.

\----------------------  
The morning was relatively calm for Prince Adolf's new personal guard. The latter spent most of the time sitting in a small office where he seemed to consult archives, reading and writing frantically. Kuroh had stubbornly stood by the office door despite Adolf's many invitations to come in and sit. Finally, at the end of an hour and a half, the prince assured him that he was not going to move from this place, so there was no immediate danger. He then suggested to Kuroh to visit the palace rather than waste his time like that. Kuroh was a bit confused, not knowing if it was right to leave the prince when he was supposed to always stay by his side. But before the insistence of the albino, he gave up. 

Kuroh did not venture too far. He had a good sense of direction, that was not the problem. Living on a mountain covered with forest allowed him to develop it rather well. But the idea of walking alone in a royal palace intimidated him sharply. Especially since his presence seemed to attract a lot of unwanted attention. Each person crossed gave him a look, each group crossed did low masses. Kuroh had already suspected that he wasn’t the first guard to have been appointed as the prince's bodyguard. He wondered then what had happened to his predecessors...  
Adolf ends up leaving the office, slightly paler. Kuroh went to his side immediately, as a faithful watchdog would. The prince gave him a weak smile: there was clearly something that disturbed him. Kuroh did not want to risk asking him what was wrong, it was probably related to an aspect of the princely life of Adolf which did not concern him.  
“What games do you like?” was the first thing Kuroh had thought of, trying to relax his prince.  
The question was rather surprising. Adolf's eyes squinted before giggling, which seemed to happen often as soon as Kuroh opened his mouth.  
“Interesting question” he remarked. “I like all kind of games as long as they are fun. But I should confess that I prefer those that ask for some reflexion.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“Well, let's say that I have more assets in the head than in the muscles!” the prince smiled, patting his temple with a finger.  
The silence that followed brought a predictable question.  
“Say, Kuroh... Would you like to play chess with me?” he asked with eyes full of excitement, like a child in front of a treat.  
The Prince's enthusiasm took Kuroh short. He wanted to refuse at first, then before his supplicating gaze he yielded. It was him who had brought the subject, in the first place.

This is how Kuroh found himself in the prince's private room and spent the rest of the morning there. The magnificence of the wall decorations was breath-taking. Adolf confessed to him that he sometimes felt oppressed by their excessive volume, and that is why he preferred to have only a few pieces of furniture in the room, to avoid suffocation. The two men sat in a recreation area where a coffee table stood. The prince set up something to play chess, placed his white pawns and handed the black pawns to Kuroh to do the same.  
“Do you know how to play?” asked Adolf.  
“How could I consider myself the disciple of Ichigen-sama if I didn’t know the rules of such a classic game” Kuroh replied, almost offended by the question.  
“Perfect then!” rejoiced the prince, clapping his hands.  
The two men started to move their pawns on the grid table. Adolf still seemed a little tense, but his mind seemed detached from his worries. Kuroh had often played with his master at this strategy game during his childhood. But as he was endowed with a gift of clairvoyance, he always seemed to know what Kuroh was going to do in advance. So, Kuroh had never managed to defeat him. However, he had some victories to his credit by having managed to beat his eldest, Yukari. This feeling of pride was unforgettable. Unfortunately, a curious feeling of déjà vu bothered the swordsman. Adolf also seemed to read his moves in advance.  
His failure was inevitable. He could at least console himself by thinking it was one of his longest games. Adolf rejoiced in his victory like a child.  
“You're pretty good” he complimented, comforting Kuroh. “There was suspense until the end!”  
“But the outcome was inevitable”, commented the guard. “I understand better what you wanted to say about your mental assets. It’s rather impressive.”  
“Do you want revenge?” suggested the albino, with a Machiavellian grin.  
Kuroh sighed. This man could seem majestic, intelligent and mature, but he had that childish side that always came back to take over. At least he seemed to be having fun and to have forgotten his worries. The outcome of this new chess match came down to another overwhelming victory for Prince Adolf. This time, he did not hold back and did a real feat that even Ichigen had never achieved. Kuroh was really impressed, but he still pouted.  
“Would you be a bad loser?” teased the prince.  
“I must admit that I did not expect to take such a beating. I surrender.”  
“Ah ... and I must admit that it's a bit boring to always win this game...” sighed the albino by putting his elbows on the table to bury his head in his hands.  
“In that case, let me propose another one” Kuroh said.  
The prince raised his head quickly, a new sparkle in his eyes. His guard scanned the room and then saw a pack of cards sticking out of a box. He got up and asked for permission to seize it. Adolf seemed to guess what kind of game Kuroh wanted to offer him. Another area in which he excelled, and in which he wore no defeat. But the smirk that appeared on his lips intrigued him.  
“I know this card game well, you're not very original”, criticized Adolf, to tease his playmate.  
Kuroh feigned ignorance and divides the package in two that he places on the table, one for himself and one for his opponent. He grabbed the first two cards of his pack and then stopped for a moment to appreciate the confused and curious gaze of the man in front of him. Then he put the two cards upright, resting against each other so that they stand alone when he removed his hands.  
“It's your turn” he said, sitting down again.  
“A... house of cards?” guessed the prince, frowning.  
“Indeed. It takes patience and asks a lot of dexterity.” _And this is one of the only games which I could beat Ichigen-sama_ , wanted to add Kuroh with nostalgic eyes.  
“Mmmh...” growled the prince. “Interesting, I have never really tried to make one before.”  
“Perfect then” Kuroh said, echoing the words of the albino from earlier.  
Adolf put two more cards next to Kuroh's. He was glad to see them stand, while Kuroh poses others. Adolf seemed to focus on each of his movements. He remained silent until his cards collapsed, almost shaking the rest of the castle's foundations. He had moaned, before concentrating even more. He bit his lip when he had to tackle the first floor. Kuroh manipulated the cards with amazing skill, concentration and patience. As soon as Adolf ventured to add cards, the pyramid sagged without any qualms.  
“Oh.”  
Despite the destruction of their work, a wide smile bloomed on Kuroh's lips, which he hurriedly erased by clearing his throat.  
“Looks like I've lost” said Adolf slowly, almost shocked.  
Instead of giving up, Adolf frowned and picked up the cards to start building again, refusing to let down. Kuroh watched him. The young albino had to recover several times before having a stable foundation, but when it was again necessary to place cards in equilibrium above, gravity regained its rights.  
“It's impossible!” he complained after the third failure.  
But during this time, Kuroh had started a smaller house of cards that he was about to complete.  
“Are you sure?” he said with a smirk.  
“How-! But...!” stammered Adolf, pointing to the guard's work. “It's incredible!”  
Kuroh closed his eyes, unable to erase his proud air.  
“I have many hours of training behind me, and of course I had the incredible opportunity to have the best teacher to develop my skills”, enthused the young man, his cheeks becoming pink.  
Adolf gave him a puzzled look.  
“Uh ... the diviner, Miwa Ichigen?” he ventured.  
Hearing the name of his master had to push a strange button, because he got up quickly, putting his hands on the table, eyes wide and sparkling, still blushing and keeping this frightening smile. He was preparing to offer an impressive performance of freed speech.  
“Yes, Ichigen-sama was a man of incredible pedagogy. But beyond that, he was by far the most exceptional man I have ever seen! His incomparable splendor does not stop only with his talents as master and professor, both in the handling of weapons he masters with a talent without name, and in the learning of everyday life, but extends in all the imaginable domains. He was exemplary in all kinds of activities as household and other more surprising, excelling both in the simplest tasks and in the more complex. He had a gift to communicate with other human beings, always considering them all as brothers, respectable and with unique value. For this he was respected and loved by all the village of my childhood but also beyond, in all the Colorless province, because he spent most of his time helping others; but no one can better explain the full extent of his genius than himself thanks to his talent in the handling of words: in fact he devoted his free time to poetry, inspired by the world rich in love, human warmth and in nature that surrounded him. He composed masterpieces of literature, each of his carefully chosen words revealing a pure truth that should guide every human being on earth! Oh, but you will never be able to grasp the full meaning of my words without listening to one of his wonderful poems that-”  
“Wow, stop! stop!” the prince intervened after having recovered his senses, stunned by the impressive flood of words that had poured over him.  
Kuroh displayed a complex expression, at once surprised, offended and full of misunderstanding. The prince had extended his hands towards him to silence him, also displaying a curious expression. A short silence settled, until the two men regained their spirits, and for Kuroh, his breath.  
“You truly are something” Adolf giggled, sitting down properly. “Haven’t you forgotten how to breathe, by any chance?”  
“N-No, I'm fine, thank you” said the young guard hastily. “Please forgive me, I got carried away.”  
“And not just a bit!” laughed the prince. “It was gross!”  
Kuroh jolted, not appreciating this insult to the misunderstood splendor of his late master. He restrained his anger by thinking that it only took time to realize the greatness of this man. This privilege was not given to everyone after all.  
“Anyway, he seems to have trained you very well in building houses of cards, because you really are unbeatable” admitted the prince, sighing, defeated.  
And to Kuroh's great surprise, a smile grew on the prince's face. He had finally found an opponent worthy of the name! It was clear that leaving the mental realm in a game made him easy to beat, but all his opponents before him, except his sister and father, made sure that Prince Adolf never knew the frustration of defeat. In other words, they let him win. Admitting a defeat thus, submitting to an honest opponent was cruelly rare and, as surprising as it may seem, did him a lot of good. Finally, the arrival of this honest young man at his side could have great sides.  
It was then that the prince's stomach manifested his presence. He then realized the time: it was time for lunch. The realization struck him and all his bust seemed to twist. He became pale again in an instant, his heartbeat accelerated.  
“My prince” Kuroh worried, noticing Adolf's change of expression. “What is happening to you?”  
“Oh, hehe, I just realized it's already late! I'm going to miss lunch, I have to hurry!” he explained with a forced smile and a nervous little laugh.  
He got up gradually, collecting the cards, which had flown to the ground for some of them. Kuroh didn’t fail to notice that his hands were shaking slightly. The prince was undoubtedly in a moment of great stress.  
“Leave it to me” said the guard, resuming the cards with his hands. “I’ll take care of that. Go refresh yourself until I join you” he advised, casting an understanding look into Adolf's lost eyes.  
At that moment, he seemed as vulnerable as a child. He nodded, forcing a last smile before leaving the room for his bathroom. Kuroh put away their little bazaar and wondered what worried the young prince that much. What had he planned this afternoon? He had not asked, considering that he did not have to be kept informed of the politics. He was there only to ensure the safety of the prince, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh oh... seems like Adolf has something he truly doesn't want to do today !
> 
> And Kuroh really takes his "special" skills to heart isn't he XD Did you honestly read his monologue till the end ? Yeah? Waw congrats


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of the new bodygard continues, learning a little more about his new master.

An impressive number of royal guards stood in front of the gates leading to the palace. Kuroh was following Prince Adolf, who hurried to join the gate. There was the impressive Golden King, and a female figure, drowned in majestic clothes, stood by his side. Hardly had Adolf found his place near his father than a luxurious coach appeared in the paved courtyard, in front of the doors. The guards hurried to the vehicle, forming a human alley. From there came out a tall and slender dark-haired man, wearing a blue and white outfit. He stepped forward, accompanied by two of his subjects.  
Adolf glanced anxiously at his father when he spoke:  
“The Blue province’s lord, Munakata Reisi”, saluted the king with a strong and resolute voice. “Welcome to the Golden palace. I hope that your trip went the best way.”  
“It is always nice to cross your magnificent kingdom, Gold King, Kokujouji Daikaku”, the young man replied politely, raising his head slightly to meet the old king’s gaze.  
Kuroh had to restrain his urge to bow to the lord's arrival. He realized then that he was surrounded by some of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

\--------------  
Kuroh didn’t have to ask Adolf what had been bothering him since the beginning of the day, because he explained it to him by himself.  
“My dad, my sister and I are about to meet the lord of the Blue province,” he said as they approached the lunch room. “The problem is that we don’t get along very well,”  
“Is that why you are so apprehensive of meeting him?” had guessed the guard.  
“Ha ha ... Is it showing that much?”  
“That you are about to faint from stress? Yes.”  
The two men was about to enter the room when the prince stopped, just before the maid had to open the door.  
“All in all, I have no desire to eat. I have a cut appetite,” Adolf said.  
Those words must have been very vexing, because Kuroh had given him an outraged look.  
“You cannot!” he exclaimed, “You simply cannot skip a meal like that!”  
“Oh ... it will not be the first time, anyway,” confessed the albino gesturing his indifference.  
A bubbling anger was rising. The guard refused to move forward and waited for Adolf to turn to him after noticing his absence at his side.  
“Kuroh ?”  
“It is unacceptable !” the young dark haired man was indignant, trying to stay upright and firm. “Your health is just as important as your safety. Your body needs healthy, regular meals; otherwise you put yourself in danger. And then... to refuse a meal voluntarily is simply immoral! If Ichigen-sama saw you ...!”  
The prince watched his personal guard, usually quiet and restrained, with round eyes. He was half listening to the drama lesson that was being delivered with, again, a destabilizing speech. All he was thinking at the time was the hilarity of the scene. So it was his laughter that cut off Kuroh's speech.  
“There is nothing funny!” he pouted, blushing slightly.  
“It's really gross,” Adolf chuckled.  
“You are in no position to criticize,” retorted the guard.  
The albino sighed with a theatrical air, then, gesturing, he confessed himself defeated.  
“Alright, alright ... You won. But I may not be able to swallow everything”, he added.

The two men entered the royal dining room. The latter was empty: they actually missed lunch. Given the splendor of the room, though intimidating, Kuroh stayed at the door. It was obvious that the servants and the guards were eating elsewhere than on the king's table. Should he go back to his room and leave the prince alone?  
The prince in question had not gone to his seat, as Kuroh expected. He had gone straight to the kitchen, where domestics were busy cleaning the dishes. When Adolf's head appeared at the crack of the door, a rather old and round woman smiled, only half surprised.  
“Look who's here. We are closing the shop, Adolf,” she said without any formality, with a stern expression, betrayed by an amused smile.  
“Oh no, please!” exclaimed the latecomer, gesturing. “It’s a question of life or death.”  
“Here, then,” said the old woman, returning to her work. “Can you please tell me who in the world is after your life?”  
Adolf emerged from the door and opened it wider.  
“A very scary man who goes everywhere with a weapon at the waist, and who will kill me if I do not have lunch!” he explained loudly enough for the scary man in question to hear.  
“Hey, I hear you from where I am”, sighed Kuroh approaching the kitchen as well, to introduce himself to the cooks.  
“Who is this charming young man?” asked the lady after examining the newcomer who had just bowed respectfully to the domestics.  
He was visibly troubling the young women around him.  
“My name is Yatogami Kuroh,” the guard introduced himself, always inclined. “I come from the Miwa house of the Colorless Province. It’s an honor to meet you, ladies.”  
At these words, the dark-haired young man straightened up, making the hearts of some servants quiver.  
“Look at this. The sword master’s son in person to protect my little Ady’s butt”, she said with a note of mockery. “You better behave properly!”  
“Y-Yes, I know”, replied the prince, embarrassed.  
The tenderness with which the old woman looked at the prince, the total lack of formality and the general behavior of the two people in company with one another intrigued Kuroh.  
“I'm sorry to be indiscreet”, he began, “but can I know the reason why you look so close?”  
The maid raised her eyebrows.  
“I see, Adolf hasn’t told you about me yet,” she said, glancing at the prince, meaning she was upset. “The queen died when she gave birth to her second child, and as the housekeeper, I was the one who raised this little one.”  
Kuroh's expression grew sadder, lowering his gaze to the ground. It is true that he had never really heard of the queen before. It seemed to him that she was a distant cousin of the king, or something like that. To die while giving birth ... Adolf has never known his mother. What a tragic story.  
“I did not know that, please excuse my ignorance," he said, apologizing to both the nurse and the prince.  
“It's fine !” assured the latter, raising both hands. “There is no problem. The palace avoids the subject, so it is normal that many people don’t know the details of this story”, he explained. “Even in my case ...” he added in a whisper for himself.  
It made Kuroh raise an eyebrow. But he could not delve deeper into the subject as the housekeeper put the cooks back to work in a loud voice that made most of the staff jump.  
“Go back to work! The prince wants to eat, so hurry up, ladies!  
“No need to prepare a feast, I'm a little smeared,” said Adolf in the back of his nurse.  
“Don’t act like a baby, I’m sure that your friend must be hungry too, so don’t grumbles like that.”  
“In that case, let me assist you in the task,” Kuroh offered.  
This earned him a handful of surprised eyes resting on him.  
“Some help won’t hurt,” conceded the maid, glaring at him.  
Kuroh will have to prove himself if he wanted to touch her precious kitchen!

After a relatively short moment, the prince was finally served what to fill his stomach for the rest of the day. According to his request, there were no more than three different dishes. This could already be considered a lot, but believe it or not, it was nothing compared to the gargantuan buffet served at every family meal...  
The doors of the kitchen had remained open, and Adolf had been able to see his guard, dressed in a cook's apron, get busy in the kitchen. He seemed oddly comfortable in this environment, taking all advice as a divine message, all criticism as the most motivating slap. What was certain was that he seemed to be enjoying himself. It was with an idiot smile on the lips that three servants hurried to serve him at the table. Adolf pouted, but the delicious smell that filled his nostrils drove him to taste them. And it was one of the best dishes he had ever been given to eat.  
“Delichious!” he exclaimed, his mouth full.  
“These are some bad manners,” said a man's voice coldly. Kuroh was coming out of the kitchen, taking off his apron. “Please do not speak with your mouth full, my prince.”  
“Kuroh! Come taste this! You must be hungry, too, right?” invited the prince with laughing eyes, pointing to a seat near him.  
The young man hesitated to advance, but the housekeeper appeared behind him and took the apron from his hands.  
“And hurry up”, she urged. “Your sister is already feeding for the arrival of the Blue Lord, Ady. You should be doing the same already.”  
“We’ll hurry!” promised the albino, nose in his bowl.  
The housekeeper could not hide her tender smile as an animated conversation, mainly focused on Adolf's bad table manners, unfolded before his eyes. The thought that the man she thought of as her son might have finally accepted someone by his side, left her relieved.

\----------------------  
They were now in a large, heavily decorated room. The walls were carefully painted and highly colored. Everything in this room served to impress and sit the power of the king in the presence of guests. Just under the ceiling was a magnificent wooden fresco that let the filtered light from outside invade the room. Kokujouji Daikaku was seated, his back straight and stiff, in a royal armchair. The heiress Claudia and Prince Adolf were each on one side of their father. Opposite, kneeling directly on the ground, was the young lord of the Blue Province, Munakata Reisi, and two of his guards: a young brown man wearing an eternally bored expression, as if he knew in advance how much it was going to be long; as well as a dignified and serious woman, holding herself as straight as possible, without ever meeting the king's gaze.  
“I'll never get tired of the beauty of this place,” said the lord in a monotonous voice that contrasted with his big melodious smile. “Thank you very much for accepting me for an interview. I hope that your Majesty is well and that our presence is not unpleasant to you.”  
The blonde woman, seated in a recess, tensed at the first words spoken by her lord: their presence was obviously little appreciated.  
“Not to mention the beautiful Princess Claudia, our future queen ... and the prodigious Prince Adolf,” he added, nodding deeply, followed by his subordinates.  
“We salute you with as much respect, Lord Munakata,” grumbled the king.  
He did not even make an effort to hide his hostility to the man before him: the tension was, as expected, well and truly present. Adolf swallowed loudly, then took a deep breath. He glanced discreetly at his sister, lost under heavy clothes. She seemed to struggle to keep her face expressionless.  
Kuroh was standing against a wall near the prince. From where he stood, straight as a spike, he only saw part of Adolf's profile. But he spotted his pursed lips without difficulty. Kuroh was not the only one to ensure the security of the exchange: there had to be a dozen guards posted further back. The number of guards in this room clearly showed the importance of what was going to happen before his eyes. For a first experience in the political life of the royal members, Kuroh immediately took his role with the greatest seriousness. He could easily see the Blue Lord and his two escorts. He won’t look away from them.  
“Let's go straight to the main subject”, then suggested the Gold King so that it sounded like an order. “What do you want ?”  
“You are right. I do not wish to abuse your hospitality in any way”, he said with a nod, before looking up at the huge sovereign. “I wish to negotiate the release of the fallen lord, Hibari Jin.”  
This declaration had the merit of surprising the king, evidenced by a slight raising eyebrow.  
“I'll be curious to know what you're willing to offer to free a war criminal,” he said after a moment of silence, not without a hint of irony. “Do you really believe that I will let that happen?”  
Munakata closed his eyes for a moment: he was obviously expecting this answer.

\----------------------  
The interview lasted less than an hour. Despite the arguments and offers the Lord had made, the King's response was categorical: Hibari Jin will not be released from prison.  
Kuroh may have known little about the world around him, he however knew who the man was. He was the previous lord of the Blue province. He was held largely responsible for the civil war that devastated part of the kingdom about twenty years ago.

Historically, there have always been tensions between the Red Province and the Blue Province. Numerous skirmishes, discreet assassinations, even battles that entered History, made his share of victims, not arranging in any way their relations. This is how the Silver Province was created a few generations ago. The solution found to separate the two troublemakers was to use part of the territory of each province to create a new one. But since then, their quarrels had resumed, this time justified by a desire to reclaim their territory. Despite the sanctions that the previous kings and queens imposed on the Blue and Red Provinces in hopes of calming the game, the legendary rivalry between these two pieces of land remained inked in the depths of their being, deeply engraved in their history, from generation to generation.  
Even if the provinces were part of the same kingdom, the regions of the country really had their own identity. The Blue Province, for example, preached respect for law and order above all else, and felt incessantly pushed to intervene in the slightest problem. However, discipline problems were the backbone of the Red Province. The inhabitants are well known for their bad manners and their tendency to use violence at all costs. Needless to say then that the Blues could not bear the chaos that reigned among the Reds, and the Reds could not stand that the Blues come constantly mingling with their affairs. 

Until now, the small conflicts between the provinces remained a local problem, but it took unequaled proportions about twenty years ago: for reasons still unclear, the Red and Blue provinces decided to attack the Silver province. This peaceful and neutral region, which resisted the conflicts as well as possible, found itself the battlefield between the rival provinces. It was a massacre. The Red lord Kagutsu was killed (again, it was impossible to say whether he killed himself during the battle or if he was assassinated as ordered by the king Kokujouji Daikaku), and the Blue lord, Hibari Jin was imprisoned in the dungeons of the Golden Palace.  
Now young men have taken over the reins of their territory: Munakata Reisi for the Blue province, and Mikoto Suoh for the Red one. A natural rivalry exists between these two new lords, but they are aware that their previous lords have crossed an unforgivable limit. Daikaku, on the advice of his diviner Miwa Ichigen, having supported him throughout the civil crisis, imposed unprecedented sanctions. That would certainly stir up the flame, but it was necessary to count on the good sense of these two lords so that the peace ends up imposing itself.  
The Silver province was still being rebuilt. There were many victims, many children became orphans. Now, the whole kingdom was mobilizing to straighten this region, mainly populated by survivors.

Remembering this triggered a shudder in Kuroh's back. He scrutinized the silhouettes of the Blues moving away, escorted by soldiers. The tension and mistrust that existed did not beg to invade the entire palace. Kuroh returned to Earth when he heard a long, exaggerated sigh behind him. Adolf had just dropped into an armchair, white locks having escaped from his braid. The king had already gone back to his private apartments: all that remained was the prince, his bodyguard, and his sister.  
Claudia had not moved from her chair since the beginning of the interview. It was to wonder if she had not slept all that time. Kuroh looked away in her direction. She had her eyes open, large pale blue-lavender eyes, hidden by long blond eyelashes. She had her hair pulled back into a complex hairstyle mingling brooches, flowers and veils. Kuroh thought for a moment about what Adolf might have looked like without his albinism by observing his sister.  
“Damn it, this guy annoys me!”  
No one had expected this statement full of energy, straight out from the mouth of the princess herself. She had slammed her fists on the armrests of the armchair.  
“Easy, sis”, Adolf said softly. “What a very bad way to talk about a lord.”  
“I cannot stand his superior look ... and did you see how he stared at me? It was disgusting.”  
The heiress tried to get up from her seat, but the heavy clothes she was wearing hindered her. Her court lady intervened to help her hoist herself up.  
“He dared to ask to release a murderer ... I had to restrain myself from jumping in his face.”  
“Come on, come on,” chuckled his little brother. “You should take better care of your face, anger doesn’t suit you at all-AH!”  
Adolf had jumped and exclaimed his pain as his sister had pinched his ear. She was grasping it more and more, making her brother gesticulate.  
“Will you repeat that, Ady?” she said, threatening.  
Her voice was very soft and calm. A large angelic smile radiated from her face. And despite everything, her gesture wasn’t truly mean.

Kuroh stared at the siblings with big eyes. He had to swallow a smile that threatened to appear on his lips. He was facing the children of the Gold King, one of whom was his master, and the other the heiress of the throne. And yet, they behaved like two spoiled children, bickering as if their difficult future did not prevent them from enjoying the present moment.  
“Your highness,” said the lady-in-waiting. “I'm sorry to interrupt you, but your dance class should start in a few minutes.”  
The princess released Adolf, smiling. But this one was clearly forced. Claudia preferred science to art, but learning to live in the nobility was a daily duty. To present oneself as an ultimate example was part of the obligingness of her future life as a queen.  
“I will not forget revenge,” whispered the latter to her little brother with a laughing look as she left.  
“But I didn’t even finish my sentence ... and you've already avenged yourself!” Adolf complained with the same look, falsely hurt, rubbing his ear.  
As soon as the conversation was over, Claudia handed her noble and impassive mask of future queen to leave the room. Adolf scanned the room and signaled to the guards still present to dispose. So there remained only the prince and Kuroh. An endless silence hovered, Adolf did not move from his seat. At the point where Kuroh wondered if he should have followed the troop of soldiers and left too.  
“Sorry for that, Kuroh,” ended up saying the prince, eyes closed, enjoying the rays of the late afternoon sun. “Boring politics for your first day, that's not what I wished for you.”  
“Do you feel better now?” Kuroh asked.  
Adolf nodded slightly, phlegmatically.  
“I dreaded this surprise visit, but finally it went well. There are often disagreements but the authority of my father always gives the last word,” he explained by sinking more into the chair.  
“Prince Adolf? Prince Adolf!” called out a loud voice that was getting closer.  
Kuroh wondered who it was when Adolf leaped from the seat. He turned to Kuroh with a finger firmly resting on his own lips. Kuroh raised his eyebrows, confused, then as the voice had gone away, the prince whispered to him:  
“He's my fencing teacher,” he said, as if it was the devil himself he was talking about.” I have classes almost every day, and it's a real headache to escape from him.”  
“You deliberately want to miss your training?” Kuroh wondered, frowning like a father who would surprise his child having fun instead of doing his homework.  
“You must understand me,” implored Adolf in a small voice, agitated. “I hate physical activities ... and even more fighting!”  
But Kuroh did not flinch. He raised an eyebrow, time for reflection. Adolf was obviously waiting for Kuroh to help him in his rebellion. The imploring glance and the soulful face did not work against the rigid block that was his bodyguard.  
“My job is to watch over your safety, but also to prevent you from running away from your prince's duties, isn’t it,” said Kuroh.  
“Of course, I will not get any help from you...” pouted the prince while walking away.  
He slowly crossed the room, moving closer to the canvas panels that served as walls, and slightly spreading one to take a look outside. Suddenly, his eyes widened then narrowed, as his whole body stiffened. Kuroh frowned, attentive, his hand on the pommel of his sword. Adolf let out loud gasp, totally distraught.  
“Kuroh ! The Blues came back with more men ! They are coming here!”  
Adolf was becoming pale, even paler than usual, and how his voice sounded wasn’t reassuring at all. Kuroh rushed towards him to watch the outside, his heart beating, ready to put his prince in safety if he had to. He first had to blink because the sun dazzled. It took him a few seconds before he could see the outside garden, but he found it empty. 

He heard a gracious chuckle and friction of tissue behind him. Before understanding what was happening, Adolf had fled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TIN TIN TIN
> 
> Ady and his pranks.......
> 
> Yep here Habari Jin is alive, yay ! We won't see him I guess, I just needed an excuse to introduce the blues haha;


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Kuroh learns that he won't find peace easily with his beloved prince's pranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while ! I had this short chapter ready to be translated for months but i wasn't sure about how to feel about it since... I guess it is good enough now !

He was ruminating on a monstrous anger as he was hastily strolling through the outer gardens of the palace. Kuroh still could not stomach the fact that he had been fooled so easily. He then remembered that the king had explained to him that Adolf always found a way to escape. If he made this kind of joke to all the people in charge of keeping an eye on him, it was not surprising that his predecessors had been numerous and fired at each runaway. He had been entrusted with a task, and he had failed miserably. Was he really going to constantly mistrusting his master’s sympathetic smiles, going to not believe any of his words?

_"It's a special place for me. It calms me.”_

Kuroh has questioned almost all the people he had met on his way, none of them had seen the prince, and even less knew where he was. But this sentence came back to him. The little garden wedged between the walls of the palace is where Adolf often took refuge, right? After the anguish generated by the visit of the Blue Lord and the flight of his teacher, the albino probably went to find calm in his favorite garden. After all, in the middle of the day, and with all the palace guards on alert, it was impossible for him to have escaped from the palace walls, was it?

Kuroh gritted his teeth. Since when did the work of a bodyguard come down to running after an unruly child? He finally arrived on the steps of the garden. Under the afternoon sun, there was a different atmosphere compared to dawn. Realizing that he had been there a few hours before, he had the impression that it had been a week since. To his great frustration, he found no silver wick, not a piece of white cloth. Prince Adolf was not here.  
By the time Kuroh turned back, he heard a loud voice echoing in the garden:  
“Prince Adolf!”  
This voice was the same one that made the prince flee: the fencing teacher. They came face to face, barely missing to hit each other. This man was built in the image of his voice: cavernous, corpulent, colossal. It was not difficult to wish to hide when such a man was on your trail. His little black eyes rounded when he recognized what was blocking his way.  
“A royal guard? I do not remember seeing your face before”, the professor scolded, without hostility.  
“I just arrived yesterday”, Kuroh said, stepping back to bow. “I am Yatogami Kuroh, the personal guard of Prince Adolf.”  
“Perfect, then you'll be able to tell me where this impossible kid is hiding.”  
The professor's eyes were on Kuroh, who was very frail beside him. He lowered his eyes, ashamed.  
“Here I am in embarrassment”, he announced. “It turns out that I'm looking for him too.”  
There was a heavy silence, and then the bear-looking man burst out laughing, a rocky and almost paternal laugh.  
“I see, so you're also paying for his fugitive impulses! Boy, you're not ready to have peace with such a master.”  
Kuroh anxiously scanned the surroundings, looking for ears that could drag. To speak so familiarly of a member of the royal family certainly should not be allowed in the heart of the palace.  
“Relax, little one”, jeered the professor. “He always comes back. Trying to find him is a waste of time and energy, believe me.”  
“So you advise me to wait quietly for his return, while my job is to ensure his safety, precisely when he flees?”  
“He just wants to avoid my class, I know it. In 2 hours he will be back in the area.”  
“I'm not convinced”, Kuroh said. “What will happen if the king hears about it ...”  
“The king?” the big man wondered. “You were commissioned by the king himself?”  
“Yes. So that this situation no longer happens. In theory”, he added, sighing.  
“Not good for you, then.”  
The teacher began to think intensely, one hand under his chin. Was he going to help him?  
“I can already tell you where it is not”, finally announced the man in a deep voice. “He can’t be in his apartments: his servants know that I am looking for him. Neither in large reception rooms, for the same reason.”  
A pause, then the big man snapped his fingers, which almost made Kuroh jump.  
“His sister takes dance lessons, so he can have taken refuge at her side!”  
The guard's eyebrows rose. It was very likely, he had not thought about it. To take refuge under an authority even stronger than his own, which will certainly take his defense. This was a rather smart idea.  
“Where can I find the princess?”

\---------------------  
Harpsichord and string notes were already echoing on the porch where Kuroh was walking fast. The sun had already hidden behind the high roofs of the palace, and the winter air reaffirmed its presence. The fencing teacher had resumed his way to a corner of the large garden surrounding the palace: an open arena serving as a training ground. If there was no prince to train, there were always guards eager to improve.

Then Kuroh stopped in front of the sliding doors of the music room. Under the melody of the instruments he distinguished women's voices. Only women's voices. Suddenly, Kuroh hesitated. He was about to burst into the classroom, a class held for the heiress in person. He was going to enter the feminine intimacy. This thought alone made him turn pink on the cheeks. The idea of coming back later or looking elsewhere crossed his mind, but he could not give up yet. It was necessary to find the prince as soon as possible. Anger replaced the embarrassment. If he had not naïvely fallen into Adolf's trap, he would not be there.  
It was with the desire to crush his master with a blow that Kuroh opened the doors. There was an amber and warm atmosphere from the paper lanterns on the ceiling and on the floor. A sweet feminine scent filled the room as a slight veil of smoke floated on the ceiling. The music became louder, and he quickly noticed that the dancers flailing energetically in the midst of a torrent of cloth had not noticed his energetic entrance.

Princess Claudia was in the middle of the group of dancers. She had exchanged her royal attire for large, light fabrics rising in the air at the slightest movement. Against one of the walls of the room had gathered the musicians. Again, no trace of Prince Adolf. Kuroh was still hesitating between announcing his presence and leaving, when the music ended. The princess sighed loudly, catching her breath. Kuroh cleared his throat to show up before one of them caught him by surprise watching the girls. It could only bring him problems.  
“Please forgive my intrusion Your Highness”, Kuroh began solemnly, bowing, “I am looking for Prince Adolf. Would you know where he is?” Kuroh asked, taking it upon himself not to look intimidated.  
“Certainly not here”, said Claudia, fanning herself with the rafinated fan which had served as an accessory during the performance. “My brother is still causing problems?”  
“He took advantage of a drop in my attention to escape my supervision”, explained the young man, ashamed to have to admit his mistake again in front of so many people. “I have been searching him since.”  
“I see,” said the princess, confiding her accessories to another dancer to arrange her hair. “He will never change.”  
After a short silence, Kuroh could not restrain his words.  
“If my incompetence has just been proved, and it disappoints His Majesty the King, I make my most honest apologies and will accept without resistance my fate.”  
“Easy, easy!” chuckled the young woman waving her little hands as to push back the words floating towards her. “Nothing will happen to you, I promise you. Playing you such a trick during your first day, Ady is really cruel.”  
“Have you any idea where he might be, Your Highness?”  
“I'm afraid he decided to go back to town. He's been there a lot lately.”  
Kuroh thinks intensely. He was trying to visualize the capital he had hardly visited since his arrival. He obviously saw the bar where they met for the first time. Was there a chance he would have returned only two days later? After the incident, it was very imprudent. Then the mysterious magician came to his mind. Maybe he had gone to join her? Oddly, the thought that the prince was in his company worried him even more.  
“Thank you, Your Highness, I-”  
“Princess Claudia, please”, cut off the young woman with an disturbing angelic smile.  
“Princess Claudia,” said Kuroh at once, bowing, “Thank you for giving me your time, I'm going to go to town and find your brother safe and sound.”  
“For some reason that I still ignore, he always manages to come back safe and sound. Good luck”, she added, this time with a sincere smile. “Count on me to hide this incident from my father.”  
“I'll never be grateful enough,” Kuroh said before heading out.  
“Oh, when you find him,” the princess grinned, “bring him to me.”  
A threatening aura radiated from her. Although his anger was directed against his brother, Kuroh could not help a shiver running through him. For a fraction of a second Kuroh would have almost begged Princess Claudia to spare his master. He bowed out of respect and then hurried to the servants' yard.

He was going to the capital, and discretion was to be his motto. It was important not to attract attention by surveying the city as a royal guard. Kuroh was going to need to change into a civilian and go once and for all in search of his master.  
His anger had turned into exasperation. He was astonished at the lightness with which the people who knew the incident took the news of the prince's disappearance. Was not this a minimum dangerous? Escaping from the surveillance of the royal palace as he saw fit? Without anyone knowing where to find him? He could be away for hours, according to the words of the fencing teacher. And everyone thought it was normal.

It was with great determination that Kuroh opened the door of his little house. An acute squeak reasoned in the main room, behind the kitchen area, then fabrics crumpling sounds and finally a heavy "boom" on the floor. Kuroh rushed forward, one hand on his sword, ready to slice any intruder. His surprise was great when he recognized what was the white mass spread on the tatami.  
“Hehe, you found me earlier than I thought, Kuroh.”  
Prince Adolf had his head upside down on the floor, his legs perched on Kuroh's bed. He painfully massaged the back of his skull, entangling his long silver locks. He continued to giggle nervously, as casually as possible.

Kuroh did not know what to choose between feeling relieved to see his master safe in the palace compound or having a cruel desire for murder.  
“If it was a test, I beg you never to do it again,” Kuroh growled, slowly releasing the pommel of the katana.  
“A test? Hmm, yes, you can see it like that.”  
“May I ask you what are you doing here, my prince?” the guard asked more drily than he would have liked.  
Adolf struggled to put himself on his feet, but Kuroh had no desire to help him. The albino accidentally walked on a lock of his hair, causing him to hoist of pain. He straightened quickly to resume a less ridiculous posture, still massaging his skull. His candid smile was almost charming if he was not accompanied by his characteristic chuckle.  
“I ... wanted a nap?” replied the prince.  
He had indeed bright eyes, testifying to his fatigue. He had probably really taken a nap.

Despite all the accusations that Kuroh wanted to make to the face of this irresponsible man, the relief was finally the strongest. The prince is again at his side, he didn’t leave the palace, the incident was closed. The young man took a deep breath to calm the bulk of his anger.  
“A nap then”, recapitulated the guard.  
“That's it !” exclaimed happily the albino, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
“In my bedroom.”  
“Absolutely !”  
“And you find that funny?”  
“Of course!”  
Kuroh sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He examined for a moment the young man in front of him.  
“You do that often, don’t you?”  
“Taking a nap ?” said the prince, falsely surprised.  
Kuroh's icy gaze showed quite clearly he wasn’t in the mood to take any of the prince's jokes. He knew what he was referring to.  
“As I told you, I do not like my workouts.”  
“Is this a valid reason for escaping your responsibilities? Do you have any idea what problems I may have if you disappear again?”  
Kuroh's tone and face were deadly serious. The situation really resembled the sermon of a child who made a big mistake.  
“... I'm sorry”, ended up answering the young prince. “I'll go to my next class ...”  
Adolf looked hesitantly at his guard, only to find a sharp look, waiting for something, sternly.  
“Promised,” he added.  
The expression of the dark haired man softens almost imperceptibly. But it was enough to understand that he was satisfied.  
“Well then, can I now know why you are hiding there?”  
“Who knows,” said the albino, with a pensive voice and shrugging his shoulders: he really did not seem to have any idea of it himself.  
This irritated Kuroh, who cleared his throat. Adolf watched for a moment, waiting with curiosity and gluttony, while Kuroh remained standing in silence. He finally let out a long sigh and started moving again.  
“Since you are here and do not seem to have decided to leave, can I offer you something?”  
“Oh ! I did not dare to ask, thank you!” exclaimed the prince again, having recovered his childish and casual attitude. “I will drink tea ~”  
Kuroh disappeared into the kitchen after a very serious nod. But to the surprise of the prince, Kuroh came out immediately, with frowning brows.  
“By the way, Her Highness Princess Claudia has instructed me to let you know that she is waiting for you to _talk_ with her as soon as possible,” he announced, supporting the implied.

The young prince's unhappy face could not prevent a small smile from forming on the lips of the bodyguard before returning to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwahaha Kuroh gets justice in the end ! Bless this scary sister.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's continue ! Kuroh gets to show off a bit, Ady realises how amazing his man is, and get ready for some angst soon.

“Hello, Kuroh!”  
The usual greeting welcomed the young guard a new winter morning.  
“What is planned today, my prince?” had gotten used to ask Kuroh in return.  
He had finally concluded that keeping abreast of his master's affairs was an integral part of his job.

It was now a week since Prince Adolf's new guard had arrived at the royal palace. He was slowly taking his bearings in the palace, and a semblance of routine was slowly entering his new life.  
Every morning he got up early to exercise in the cool toning of winter. He then took his usual cold shower, then a modest breakfast that he sometimes shared with other guards or servants, before putting on his uniform and joining the prince. He went every time to the little secret garden of the albino, and when he could not find him, it was because he was usually still in bed. Kuroh had quickly realized that if nothing made him get out of bed, he could easily stay half the day sleeping. And from there, he accompanied the young man everywhere he went: his office where he liked to consult and read old archives - Kuroh noticed that it was mathematics or other scientific theories -; or quiet rooms in which he still read; or else he took part in his courses in history, science, language, dance, court life, training in the use of weapons; or he attended meetings and interviews with the king.  
But no one ever visited Adolf for him only. He only accompanied, made an act of presence. Completes the royal painting. Shows himself by simple formality. He was often kept out of the political affairs of his father and sister, and Adolf was very comfortable with it. The young personal guard quickly understood how loneliness and indifference was the daily life of the second child of Kokujouju Daikaku. All the people passing by used excessive manners, but not an ounce of honesty was reflected in the smiles and small bows.

Adolf was happy to have someone to talk to, but the prince kept his distance. Kuroh had often surprised him to sigh when he realized that the guard was around, or sometimes he ignored him royally. His mood could vary wildly: the childish joy of seeing him, or the deep annoyance as soon as Kuroh got in his way. The swordsman had learned to read between the lines and soon realized that the young prince often hid his annoyance behind a happy smile. It was hard to pin down the truth of the false.

But one thing was obvious: Adolf did not want him.

The king assured him that he did not have to pay attention to what the prince wanted, that he had to do his job no matter if he liked it or not. But Kuroh could not help but feel guilty. Adolf did not want him, and one way or another, it hurt him. He thought he would have to solve this problem one day.

“I have nothing special to do this morning,” said Adolf, phlegmatically turning the last page of the book his father had "offered" to him. « And I have classes this afternoon, as usual. »  
“Which classes ?” Kuroh continued.  
“Fighting training and dance,” finally said Adolf after a long sigh.  
Then silence settled. The albino's eyes went all the way through the last page, but he did not take them off the book. He seemed lost in thought.  
“Does this book pleased you, my prince?” the guard tried.  
The prince's expression lit up at once.  
“Haha, yes, very interesting. I appreciate it much more now that it is finished!” chuckled Adolf, snapping the book shut.  
He got up from his chair and went to the big library to put it in the "art of living in society" section.  
“His Majesty the King will probably be glad to hear that you have followed his advice.”  
“Oh yes, I'm sure he has boxes full of books he’ll force me to read. There lies all the guidelines for becoming an exemplary king,” he sneered. “But all of this is useless, I'm only the second in the line, it's my sister who will reign, not me.”  
“Do not say that, you have a big role to play even if it is not you who will sit on the throne,” tried to reassure Kuroh.  
“Yes, my _big role_ is to bring new blood into the family and if possible by strengthening alliances with a neighboring country,” retorted the albino with irony.  
It disturbed Kuroh, who frowned.  
“What do you mean by that, my prince?”  
Adolf turned his head to Kuroh, with a funny expression on his face.  
“Isn’t it obvious ? I'm here to marry a foreign woman and make her children, that's all. I am now old enough to become the pretender of a princess ...”  
The raw reality these words exposed hit Kuroh harder than he expected. _How indecent ... !_ The shock gradually faded, Kuroh's face regained color.  
“I-I see ...”  
The prince's gaze was piercing, scrutinizing the exaggerated reaction of the man in front of him. His curiosity was piqued.  
“What is your type of woman, Kuroh?”  
“Sorry ?!”  
Kuroh's cheeks turned to a bright red, as he dreaded the question. It was the kind of subject that embarrassed him the most since his early childhood. Kuroh was desperate about his own immaturity. To show his weakness before his prince was the last thing he needed. He slapped himself mentally for this embarrassing and immature reaction.  
“Simple curiosity,” Adolf replied, pretending not to have noticed the pretty succession of different shades of red dyeing his guard's face. “You do not have to choose a partner depending on her status, her nationality, her reputation and her wealth unlike me, right ? So, what kind of person would you choose?”  
Kuroh was going to say that those kinds of things did not matter to him, but something came to mind. Why on earth would the prince be interested in something so futile if it was not for his own sake ?  
“Are you trying to get help in your own choice of partner ?”  
Adolf was not expecting to receive this question as an answer, because he gave him big eyes. His astonishment turned into a smile to finish in a chuckle.  
“Am I that predictable ?”  
“I do think so, with no offense,” said Kuroh, wearing an unperturbed face again.  
“Hehe, you're probably right. I must be desperately in need of help,” said the albino, dropping dramatically into a chair, lying crookedly, feet in the air.  
“Are you worried about this subject ?” Kuroh ventured, approaching another chair not far from the prince's.  
Adolf covered his face with his hands and moaned lamentably. The answer was clear.  
“I'm afraid I'm not the right person to help you,” said the young swordsman in an apologizing voice.  
The prince lowered a hand to reveal an eye he landed on Kuroh.  
“You can help me forget my problems, though !” he exclaimed in a jovial voice.  
Kuroh had learned to be wary of that look. A child's look full of mischief and ideas in mind. As Kuroh frowned, Adolf chuckled.  
“Relax, nothing really bad !” the prince straightened up quickly, and swayed so as to be seated on an arm-chair. “Let's go to the training arena !”

\----------------------  
It had frozen that night, as evidenced by the thin film of ice covering the gravel. The soft morning sun warmed the skin and made the garden sparkle. The landscape was naturally striking, but a question too disturbing was trotting in Kuroh's head for him to really pay attention.  
“Do you really want to watch me fight in this icy cold?”  
“Yes ! It's been a while since I'm curious to see your abilities, and I've reached the limit of my patience.”  
“And it's very unreasonable. Please, at least come train at the same time, you will turn into an ice statue if you do not move.”  
Kuroh and Adolf had arrived in the sand covered arena used as training ground for the handling of weapons.  
“Oh, no, very little for me. I am the worst student in the world in this discipline.”  
“I do not even have an opponent to beat,” Kuroh continued. “Do you want me to brew some air?”  
“Isn’t it what you do every morning?” Adolf whispered teasingly, sweeping the argument away.  
“Wh-! How do you know that?”  
A proud little smile formed on the pale lips of the prince.  
“I have eyes everywhere,” he replied, enigmatic, always with that teasing smile. “Go, show me!”

Kuroh was standing alone in the center of the field. There were human figures made of wood or straw as an opponent, ideal for putting into practice one’s fighting techniques, for learning and development.  
“I only have my sword as a weapon,” Kuroh remarked.  
“Those are already in bad shape, you can damage one more, nobody will see anything.”  
The idea of degrading the material did not please him, but he knew that only a real fight could satisfy his prince. With a little bit of luck, he won’t ask for more.  
The young man faced a hanging sack of sand. He glanced at Adolf, who was stamping with impatience.  
With a sigh, Kuroh set himself in a fighting position. Then he charged and slammed the bag hard with a fist and then moved with several stealth blows, to hit it from every possible angles. Kuroh moved quickly and lightly, all his movements thought and precise. The blows were fast and graceful. Then he began to use his legs and feet, striking with a grace and a terribly powerful force. A sequence of movements resembling a deadly dance. His last blow was so violent that the rope suspending the bag gave way.  
Kuroh tried to catch his breath while mentally asking forgiveness to those who will have to fix it later. Since he had not heard anything from Adolf since the beginning of the demonstration, Kuroh looked up at him. He looked stunned.  
“Is everything alright?” he asked casually.  
“I ... I am speechless,” confessed the prince. “I was expecting a swordsmanship demonstration, but that ... it was amazing! You can fight with your bare hands!”  
“Obviously, I only use Kotowari if it is strictly necessary.”  
“How long did it take you to reach this level?”  
The question made Kuroh smile, while he leaned forward to pick up his inanimate opponent.  
“I followed the teaching of my master all my childhood, from the moment he saved me, until ...”  
Kuroh's smile faded for a moment, his eyes serious. Then he shook his head energetically to clear his thoughts and resumed in a low tone.  
“My master was a renowned swordsman and the entire Miwa family is known for its outstanding blacksmiths. It was therefore natural that I try this discipline when integrating the family. And I imagine that fighting skills came naturally during my apprenticeship.  
“We owe a lot to the Miwa family, especially your master,” recognized the prince, thoughtful. “He was a good friend of my father. I met him rarely, but each encounter was remarkable. He had a special aura.”  
Kuroh nodded, regaining his smile, full of adoration and sadness.  
“I'm sure it must have been an immense honor to share the life of a great man like him,” concluded Adolf, sympathetically.  
"It has been,” Kuroh confirmed, locking his eyes to the albino's.  
He showed his gratitude with a smile and Adolf acknowledged it, without a word exchanged, all going through the gaze.  
A loud voice was what broke the spell.  
“Ok you won, but not for long, okay?”  
“Yes Master !”  
The prince and his guard turned to the imposing silhouette of the fencing teacher, who almost hid a young man wearing a royal guard uniform who was following him.  
“Look who's here,” the professor said in an amused tone after noting that the clearing was occupied.  
The young apprentice lost all color and stiffened. He glared at his teacher, then immediately bowed to Prince Adolf.  
“Y-Your Highness!” greeted politely the young brown man, visibly very intimidated.  
“Hello~,” said Adolf, swinging his legs from where he was sitting.  
“Do not tell me you're here early for our class this afternoon, Adolf,” the professor chuckled. “I will not believe a word!”  
“Haha, you saw right through me! I came to assess the level of my new personal guard.”  
The teacher’s gaze quickly moved to Kuroh.  
“Your verdict?”  
“He is very good,” replied the prince, shaking his head approvingly.  
This response earned Kuroh a strong look from the giant, who was examining him unscrupulously.  
“Mm, if that's really the case, he'll be useful.”  
“Be helpful?” Kuroh intervened, frowning. “How?”  
The professor made a gesture towards the young man who was still behind him. He tensed more now that all eyes were on him.  
“This kid right here insisted on taking extra private lessons with me.”  
“My name is Souta Mishina,” the boy said, bowing again.  
“From what I understood, he wants to please a pretty little maid by gaining a few muscles.”  
“M-Master ?!” cried Mishina, blushing furiously.  
“Haha, stop bothering the young recruits,” laughed Adolf, shaking a hand. “Nice to meet you, Mishina.”  
The strict posture of the boy relaxed slightly. Comforting warmth escaped from the Prince's beautiful, immaculate smile.  
“All that to say that a fight demonstration between two people will be more instructive than just watching me beat up a piece of wood,” the teacher finished.  
He took a few steps before turning quickly to the prince, who seemed to enjoy himself by doing nothing.  
“And watch carefully, it may be quite useful to you as well,” added the professor, which changed the prince's face into a comical pout.

 

The fencing teacher crossed the arena and took a wooden sword before throwing it at Kuroh. He caught it by reflex.  
“We'll have some fun, you and me,” said the professor taking a second sword for himself.  
He pointed to the apparent Kotowari pommel beneath the dark clothes that served as a uniform.  
“You can put it somewhere else, we won’t be serious right now,” the man said in a deep, amused voice.  
Kuroh nodded, and his gaze fell naturally on Adolf. He hated to admit it, but the person he trusted most at that moment was the prince. Having to entrust his precious sword to someone else displeased him, but he had not much choice. Adolf seemed to understand, because he got up and went up to his level, while extending a hand towards him.  
“Let me get rid of it” he said cheerfully. “Your sword belongs to me somehow, isn’t it?”  
It earned him a dead look from Kuroh, not really amused, but he gave him Kotowari anyway.  
“Wow, it's heavy,” commented Adolf before returning to his sitting spot, excited to have the opportunity to see a new show.  
The two men put themselves in place, adopting a fighting stance.  
“Show me what you can do”, asked the teacher, provocative.  
Kuroh just nodded, adjusted his position, and then he burst onto the giant. The professor countered the attack with ease, then he tried to fight back. Each one tested his opponent, a rhythm settled, until one of them breaks the balance. With a powerful movement, the professor aimed his sword toward his opponents, and Kuroh dodged gracefully. The pace of the fight had accelerated, the blows became more powerful, the movements more and more frequent. The difference in stature between the two opponents was significant, but Kuroh was not once in trouble. He adapted to the professor's style of combat while imposing his own.  
“Good !” commented the professor, who seemed to be having a lot of fun. “Very good !”  
Kuroh was generally silent, focused. His opponent was an expert in weapons handling, and he found himself enjoying this fight. There was no pressure, no stake, it was a real moment of pleasure to find an opponent to his level.

It was fascinating to study the considerable difference between the two styles of fights. There was an imbalance, but finally the overall choreography could only attract the eye. Mishina was captivated, eyes sparkling, not losing a crumb of the show. The Prince's face mustn’t be very far from this description. He is used to see his teacher fight, and so his eyes were rather caught by the other opponent. Gravity seemed to have no effect on Kuroh, he moved with such lightness that it was almost supernatural. He held his sword firmly in his hand, never bending. Always focused, always thinking. He combined power and lightness perfectly. The young man really mastered his art.

But the fencing teacher ends up taking Kuroh short, and his wooden sword was over the young man's shoulder, dangerously near his neck. There was a flash of surprise in his ashen blue eyes, then a defeatist smile formed on his lips. He resumed a straight position, eyes solemnly closed.  
“I'm defeated,” he commented.  
“You did rather well, little one”, assured the professor, panting. “You gave me a hard time, and that's not an easy thing to do!”  
Kuroh smiled and bowed his body forward to bow.  
“It has been a real honor to fight you in a duel.”  
“None of us was really serious, I'm curious to see what you can do in the battlefield.”  
The professor had come forward and he affectionately pated Kuroh's shoulder.  
“Adolf is safe with you.”  
The young man nodded in acknowledgment.  
“Well, as long as he stays where he is supposed to be,” Kuroh added.  
This made the man sneer, who turned to their spectators. The latter were applauding vigorously.

 

\-------------  
After the demonstration, it was the young apprentice's turn to practice. He had continuesly expressed his admiration to Kuroh. The prince had finally got cold, so he and his guard had left the arena. They settled somewhere warm, servants were busy, they could smell delicious food out of the kitchen.  
Then suddenly, the quiet atmosphere was electrified: there was agitation among the staff. Adolf frowned as he looked up from his book, and Kuroh stood up to ask what was going on.  
“A prisoner ! A prisoner comes to the palace!” a servant replied, trying to restrain her agitation.  
Hearing this, Adolf got up as well and joined his guard, a not very cheerful look on his face. A voice rose, stronger than the others: “a deserter !”  
Kuroh's blood froze at once.  
He rushed forward, jostling a few people, to find himself outside, near the gate of the palace. There stood a vehicle, surrounded by royal guards. They tried to repel the curious men and women, to advance towards the enclosure of the palace. Once in the garden, the vehicle stopped, the gates closed and the prisoner went out. Kuroh made his way through the crowd until he was in the front row to confirm what he feared most.

He had his chin proudly raised, his curious purple hair was impeccable as always, but his eyes betrayed a great fatigue. Kuroh stood still, frozen on the spot.

His adoptive brother was finally arrested.

An expression of terror was displayed on the young guard's face as Yukari looked up at him. Time seemed to stop for a moment, his thin smile seemed to say "It had to happen someday".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroh is in trouble !

It was the morning. Yukari had just finished repeating his sword movements, a habit inculcated by the descendant of famous blacksmiths, Miwa Ichigen. These morning physical exercises obviously helped to maintain his physical state and his skills, but it was also an opportunity to relax, to evacuate all the bad tensions in his body and thus to have a clear mind for the day that was opening to him. Winter was settling with more and more ardor. But the freezing cold tones the body and the mind.

All the same, that morning was particularly fierce, and Yukari agreed for a moment to enjoy his tea, to warm up from the inside. He looked at the void in front of him. This table used to gather three people a few times a day, but lately there was only one left. The silence of these last days was welcome, however. Now that Ichigen was gone, things won’t be the same anymore. Yukari knew it well, he thought a lot while his master's health deteriorated: what would become of him? Where should he go? Could he stay? But having thought about it did not necessarily give him any answers.

The reason why Yukari lived in this remote house, the reason he stayed all that time with Ichigen, was to find refuge. Ichigen offered him a place to hide, where he would be safe, protected by the strong influence of his master.  
He was young at the time. A young soldier excited to join the royal army and defend his kingdom. The art of combat has always attracted him, and mastering weapons to protect and defend was the most beautiful thing. But although he excelled, and was about to be recognized, he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, a trick played by fate, bursting into pieces what he always believed. He had witnessed a hidden truth, which he was forbidden to know. And for that, he had to pay the price.

But Ichigen offered him a refuge. A place where he will not be judged, where he will not be found. Now this refuge was empty. His protector has disappeared to never return. He could only remain discreet as he learned to become. Hide his past as a soldier, hide his deserter status. It had always worked so far. It had always worked until that morning.

Here he is now back in the capital after years, closer to the palace than he was ever allowed to be. He had returned to the heart of royalty, but not as a soldier, as a prisoner. He knew he could not escape forever, someone had to find him, it was written. Who could have imagined that a former colleague would be part of an escort tasked with taking his little brother away ? While this little brother had already gone to meet them ? Fate had expressed itself in a very amusing way, it had to be recognized.  
Maybe that's why Yukari's smile did not go away? The situation was so absurd that he had trouble taking it seriously.  
It is therefore with a light spirit and without great expectations that Yukari made his way through the crowd of curious people in the palace, led by two royal guards. It will happen what will happen. Yukari knows the rules. And he has valuable information that can surely get him out of there.

 

\-------------  
“Kuroh, what's wrong?”  
A soft voice with a touch of worry tore Kuroh away from the many thoughts that jostled in his head. He noticed that a hand was firmly placed on his arm. He looked up and met two clear eyes, who were scanning his face quickly. Kuroh's heart was pounding, and he felt that the colors of his face had faded. He must not look well, given the prince's frown.  
“Is everything okay ?” asked the young man, who did not seem to notice the exclamations of surprise around him, as people recorded the presence of the prince among them.  
Yukari has been taken inside. From where he was now, Kuroh could not do anything anymore.  
“I'm fine”, he finally answer, without much conviction.  
It was not the safest place for the prince. Kuroh had unconsciously brought him into the midst of a crowd in the bitter cold of winter. He must not forget his first priority: the safety of Adolf.  
“Do not stay here, my prince. Let’s come back and get warm”, Kuroh ordered as he pressed his body against his, to pull him back and avoid contact with these quivering subjects.  
Adolf blinked a few times before understanding what Kuroh was trying to do, and he complied with the will of his bodyguard.

They both arrived inside the palace, and took the place they had left a few minutes earlier. A maid hurried to serve tea. She had been distracted by the general commotion, and now she was trying to get back to work, as if nothing had happened. She glanced stealthily towards the square, which was gradually emptying into whispering that was hard to repress.  
“Thank you, Kukuri”, said the prince with a smile, placing his cold fingers on the hot surface of the cup.  
The servant bowed and disappeared. Kuroh had followed her with his eyes all the way and he realized that he often saw this maid near the prince. He deduced that the prince must have a small group of close subjects, and that was quite natural. But he had noticed the sincerity in the smiles of the prince, something that did not happen with anyone.  
“ That maid ”, Kuroh began, “ looks very devoted.”  
Adolf looked up from his hot drink, raising his eyebrows, before nodding.  
“ She has many qualities, it's true”, the prince agreed.  
He took a sip of tea, and Kuroh waited for more.  
“ She has been with me for a long time ”, confessed the prince. “In other circumstances, we could even be friends !”  
Kuroh nodded, frowning. He could not help but look at the door through which the maid had left the room. So this person was close to the prince. Here is an individual who could be dangerous, he should not lower his guard. Kuroh had to suspect anyone who could put the prince's safety at risk.  
“ You look very strange today, Kuroh,” Adolf remarked.  
That's enough to bring down Kuroh on Earth. He behaved strangely, in public and before the prince, no less ! We had to pull himself together!  
“ It looks like you're going to slaughter that door if you could,” the albino added, chuckling.  
“ My apologies” Kuroh replied, straightening his back and drinking his own drink. “Please forgive this moment of misguidance, my prince.”  
Adolf watched Kuroh, placing his head on one hand, slumped on one arm of his chair. He narrowed his eyes, and his mouth pinched.  
“ Yep, you're definitely strange,” decided the prince. “ Since this incident with the prisoner. Do you know him ?”  
Kuroh looked down and took a deep breath.  
“ Yes.”  
Adolf raised his eyebrows, surprised to be right.  
“ Who is it ? What did he do so bad to be taken to the palace?”  
Kuroh's lips were pinched. He hesitated to speak. He just could not tell him that Yukari is a deserter! But it seemed obvious that this secret will soon enough no longer be one. And if he reveals that he is close to such a man, what will be the consequences on his reputation? Was he going to be fired for hiding a criminal?  
“ So ? ” the prince was impatient.  
He could not lie or tell the truth. So he did not say anything. Adolf sighed.  
“ Okay, it's a sensitive subject, is it? Let's not talk about it for the moment,” concluded the prince, pushing his empty cup to the little table.  
Kuroh's head was in turmoil: he actually lived with and hid a criminal for years, and it would inevitably be known in the hours or days that followed. He is an accomplice. And he is the personal guard of the second child of the King. The situation is clear: he will be fired, and may even be jailed too! What a disgrace to the reputation of his master! He was certainly going to be accused of complicity too! It was going to tarnish the name of the Miwa forever!

He managed to perceive, through his terrifying thoughts, a slight touch on his hand. He looked up and saw an immaculate hand tightly wrapped around his, shaking. He was terrified.  
“ Kuroh, are you sure you're ok? You seem to be unwell, do you want to retire for a moment ?”  
Before Kuroh could deny, Adolf had already called a maid.  
“ I assure you I'm fine,” the young man insisted. “There is no way I will leave you alone.”  
Adolf sighed, then a smile appeared despite his anxiety.  
“In this case, maybe I accompany you?”  
Kuroh was going to protest when the prince got up and gave his instructions. He was even about to help Kuroh to get up! Kuroh shook him away and stood up from himself: what embarrassing!

 

All thought well, a little rest and silence would not do him any harm. He needed to think seriously about what was going to happen, and how to solve the problem. The prince was really accompanying him to his little building in the servants' quarters, a place clearly not flattering the prince's condition.  
“ All of this was _clearly not_ necessary,” Kuroh accused.  
The prince had brought with him a whole procession of servants! All eyes were on him, as if he were really suffering from a terrible disease! What image did it give him? But the worst must have been the little smile that did not seem to want to leave Adolf's lips. There was no doubt: the prince found the situation amusing!

“ Well, my personal guard is exhausted and needs rest,” Adolf told his servants, as if he was finally pitying his guard. “You can all withdraw.”  
“ Do you want us to bring a doctor, your highness?” proposed a servant.  
“ It will not be necessary. Miss Kukuri, if you could stick around in case of emergency …”  
The young woman nodded, and with the back of a hand, Adolf sent the procession back to the palace.  
“ I assure you once again that I feel good,” Kuroh protested between his teeth, his patience running low.  
The prince seemed to roll up his eyes, just like that, and took the initiative to open the door himself.  
“ Would my dear bodyguard be so kind as to invite me to his apartments?” Adolf asked in an exaggeratedly honeyed voice, as he had already called in without waiting for an answer.  
Kuroh could only go in as well and close the door behind him. He threw a long, dark look at his prince.  
“ And here we are, free to talk quietly,” said the albino proudly.

He settled himself in a chair, and appointed a second one near him. Kuroh was slightly anxious, and still had not forgiven his humiliation of earlier, but he obeyed and sat down in front of the prince.  
“ So, what's bothering you so much?” asked Adolf again, his face turning serious.  
Kuroh looked away. It was an expression he rarely saw on the prince's face. He wanted to run away. To deny again and again, to tell that everything was normal. In no way he could reveal such a big secret. But still, soon it will not be a secret anymore. Was it better to admit everything now? Will his honesty be able to ease his sentence?  
“ Kuroh, everything you tell me here will not come out of here,” assured the prince.  
“ ... ”  
“ Maybe I can help,” he added.

It's true that as a prince, Adolf can have a weight, make a difference. If he ever take his side.  
“You are my bodyguard,” continued the albino. “ Your worries are mine.”  
Obviously the person closest to a prince should have no secrets for him. If the person in charge of his security is hiding things and lying, how can he be trusted completely? In such a case, he was not qualified for that position. Kuroh finally decided to take the risk, and choose honesty. Ichigen-sama repeated to him often enough that it was the wisest way. He took a deep breath, searching for his words. Adolf leaned forward, feeling the confidence coming.  
“ The prisoner ... is my brother,” he finally confessed.  
As expected, an expression of surprise settled on the prince's face.  
“ We are not bound by blood, it is rather a brother of weapon. We lived and studied together under the protection of Miwa Ichigen.”  
“ I see,” interposed the prince, thoughtfully. “ What are we reproaching him?”  
Okay. It's time.  
“ He was in the royal army, about ten years ago. But he escaped.”  
Just go straight to the point. Kuroh anxiously scanned Adolf's reaction. He frowned and then he seemed to understand what that meant.

“ Oh. ”

That was all. Kuroh blinked. The prince did not look more scandalized than that.

“ Why did he run away? “  
“ He has never been very clear about it,” Kuroh said, regretting that his family members have this habit of silencing their past. “ He learned something that put him in danger and preferred to desert. My master took him under his wing to protect him.”  
Kuroh went silent for a moment, then pursed his lips.  
“ I helped him hide, and I'm aware of my brother's crime. I am therefore an accomplice,” Kuroh concludes in one go.  
He had revealed everything, and there is absolutely nothing in what he said that could alleviate the gravity of this crime. Good job.  
Adolf remained silent a little too long for the tranquility of his nerves.  
“ I'm aware that I risk a sentence for that,” he added. “ I'll need ... your support,” he asked shyly.  
Was he going too far? Asking his prince to accept his fault and help him out of his impending punishment. It was extremely selfish.  
“ I understand,” replied Adolf yet. “ It will not be easy for your brother. We need to know more to get him out of there.”  
Kuroh's heart missed a beat before beating wildly. He wondered if he had heard correctly: Prince Adolf was ignoring his crime and was going to the point of trying to free Yukari ?!

 

\-------------  
It has been more than a week since his father told him about a new bodyguard. It was not the first time, but Adolf still found ways to bypass their vigilance and continue doing what he liked. Most of them gave up on themselves, considering themselves too incompetent. It was understandable: the day when something bad happens to the little prince, it was better not to be the person in charge, or the punishment of the king would be much worse than death. The other case was when Adolf managed to escape and the king learned it, the guards were fired.

But this time, Daikaku had offered him to have a personal guard. It was the first time his father had used that word. He had explained to him that he was going to have a person at his side all the time and not only during public appearances! Exactly like his servants! He was going to have to share his daily life with a vigilant man whose mission was to prevent him from misbehaving. In other words, the idea did not please him at all.

But despite his protests, the Golden King had made his decision.  
He had no choice but to let a person follow him like a dog, and waste his time looking after him.

It was to take advantage of his last moments of freedom that Adolf left the palace and ventured into the city several times the last few weeks. Once, he found himself by mistake in a settlement of an account related to a theft of merchandise. Adolf still does not understand how he managed to be mistaken for a thief when he was just passing by and defending a little girl. He had been frightened that time, and it would have been much worse if the girl had not got him out of this impasse. The girl looked poor and alone, her long pink hair tangled and stuck to her face. However, she offered him a bright smile.  
“ Thank you for your help !” she said, holding Adolf's arm firmly.  
She showed a little too much affection and confidence to a simple stranger, the prince had told himself. To trust anyone on the street so easily was certainly not the surest way to live. But the girl had quickly explained to him that this was the first time someone had ever taken her defense when she was clearly the criminal.

Adolf had blinked, incredulous. Oh. So _she_ was the thief ?

She proudly explained how she had managed to sow doubt and appoint another culprit, making him to take all the blame instead. She even took her little treasures out of her big pockets. And one way or another, she had found a way to hide them from others' eyes: it was impossible to realize that her pockets were full from the outside! Was it magic ?!  
“ What is your name ?” she had asked him then.  
“ I can’t tell you.”  
The girl pouted and seemed to think for a moment.  
“ Then I'll call you Shiro!” she had decided.  
“ Shiro ...? ”  
“ Yes ! It's your name now, and you're my friend! My friend for life ~” began to sing the strange little girl, twirling.  
“ Ha ha …”

Shiro did not know what to think, the situation was way too strange. He listened to the girl talking happily, letting her guide him into the city. She seemed to know the streets by heart, and the prince wondered how long she had lived here in the streets of the capital, alone and without a house. How could she smile so much? Adolf also felt lonely, and he could barely smile. Well, not quite, he's just always doing that, smiling. But a real smile ... It did not happen to him so often.

But lately, he had found a way to have fun again. His new personal guard was really vigilant and strict, but one way or another, he was even more fun to tease. It was easy to trick him, but his dark look whenever Adolf gets caught is really scary. The first few days he was trying to see Kuroh's limits, testing how far he could go. He tried to ignore him too, to live as before, as if there was not that watchful gaze constantly on him. He thought that his presence would be heavy, constraining ... But finally the company was not so terrible. Kuroh knew how to be discreet, he watched absolutely everything, going from his clumsiness - which earned him a disapproving look or a few remarks - to his troubles - which he tried to solve -. Adolf was listened to, Kuroh was involved in his daily life, even attending his many classes. Adolf had hesitated to tell him that he did not need to go that far, but it was finally more fun to leave him in the dark. He did not seem to have noticed the confused looks his professors were throwing towards him. He felt quite in his place, in a corner, arms crossed. Then it began to become a habit for everyone, to see this dark and upright man alongside the young prince at all times.

Today was the first time Adolf noticed a fault in the confident and collected facade of his guard. The first time he gave a glimpse of a piece of his personal worries. Kuroh seldom spoke of himself, except for his worrying obsession with his dead master. He got out of all the situations that imposed on him: even in a duel against one of the best fencing masters in the kingdom, he was doing brilliantly. But today, something had managed to shake the young man.  
A curious sense of duty had seized the prince. It had to be clarified !

Who could have imagined such a confession! Kuroh was in a delicate position indeed. But it was out of the question to abandon him. Kuroh had told him everything without so much resistance. Was it a proof of trust? He could have kept everything for himself, but he chose transparency, honesty. He had even asked for help.

Adolf was aware that it was not going to be easy, but if there was one person in this realm who could turn a blind eye to such a case, it was his father.

It was decided, Adolf was going to help Kuroh!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my sloooow updates I hope I will not drop this fic before the important parts I really want to write !!


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